THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


d^ 


• 


REMINISCENCES 


BOSTON   MERCHANT 


BY 


BENJ.N  R  FIE'LD 


BOSTON 

RAND    AVERY    COMPANY 
<3flbe  tfranfclin 
1887 


REMINISCENCES  OF  A  BOSTON  MERCHANT. 


CHAPTER    I. 

TTUBERTUS  DE  LA  FELD  came  to  Eng- 
1  A  land  from  Colmar,  an  imperial  city  near 
Strasburg  in  Alsatia  on  the  German  border  of 
France.  He  was  of  the  family  of  the  Counts  de 
la  Feld,  who  resided  at  Colmar  as  early  as  the 
sixth  century.  He  came  to  England  with  William 
the  Conqueror  in  1066,  and  held  lands  in  Lanca- 
shire in  1068,  granted  to  him  by  the  Conqueror  for 
military  services. 

The  de  la  Felds  were  common  before  the  reign 
of  Richard  II.  During  the  fourteenth  century 
the  prefix  of  "  de  la  "  was  dropped,,  in  consequence 
of  the  wars  with  France  having  made  it  unpop- 
ular. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  the  name  of  Field 
seems  to  have  been  generally  substituted  for  that 
of  Feld,  Felde,  and  Fielde. 

The  coat-of-arms  of  the  ancient  de  la  Felds  is 


M311443 


4          Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

the  same  as  that  of  the  modern  Fields,  —  "  Sable 
a  chevron  between  three  garbs  argent." 

Sir  John  Field  the  astronomer  was  born  about 
1525,  and  died  at  Ardsley  in  England  in  1587. 

The  first  appearance  of  the  name  of  Field 
without  the  prefix  "  de  la,"  was  in  Ardsley  and 
Bradford  in  the  West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  which 
borders  on  Lancashire,  near  the  lands  granted  by 
the  Conqueror  to  Hubertus  de  la  Feld. 

Sir  John  Field  left  eight  sons  and  one  daughter. 
The  Fields  of  New  England  and  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  are  lineal  descendants  of  Sir  John  Field. 

Zechariah  Field,  son  of  John  Field,  and  grand- 
son of  Sir  John  Field  the  astronomer,  was  born 
in  Ardsley,  England,  in  1600,  and  emigrated  to 
Boston,  and  settled  in  Dorchester  in  1630. 

In  1636  a  large  number  of  emigrants  moved 
from  Cambridge,  Watertown,  and  Dorchester,  to 
Hartford,  Conn., — among  whom  was  Zechariah 
Field,  —  and  settled  there.  Zechariah  moved  to 
Northampton,  returned  to  Hartford  in  1663,  and 
died  at  Hartford,  June  30,  1666. 

I  am  of  the  sixth  generation  from  this  Zecha- 
riah, and  was  born  in  Boston,  Sept.  23,  1806,  on 
the  summit  of  Copp's  Hill,  at  the  head  of  Snow- 
hill  Street,  in  a  large  white  house  now  removed  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  Boston  Gas  Company. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.          5 

I  was  educated  in  Boston,  primarily  at  Mrs. 
English's  school,  and  then  at  the  Mayhew  School, 
under  reading-masters  Mullican  and  Hart,  and 
writing-masters  Holt  and  Finch. 

About  this  time,  there  being  a  war  with  Eng- 
land, the  American  frigate  "  Constitution "  cap- 
tured the  English  frigate  "  Guerriere,"  which 
created  a  great  sensation  throughout  the  country. 
On  the  arrival  of  the  "  Constitution  "  at  Boston, 
Commodore  Hull  with  his  crew  marched  up  State 
Street  with  drum  and  fife  amid  a  crowd;  and  it 
was  a  scene  never  to  be  forgotten.  In  the  arms  of 
my  father  on  State  Street,  where  the  Merchants' 
Bank  now  stands,  I  witnessed  this  procession,  and 
have  a  lively  remembrance  of  it. 

I  finally  graduated  at  the  Boylston  School  on 
Fort  Hill  in  1820,  obtaining  a  Franklin  medal, 
and  dining  with  the  alumni  in  Faneuil  Hall. 

Then  commenced  my  mercantile  education.  I 
entered  the  store  of  J.  C.  Hicks,  in  the  dry-goods 
trade,  on  Kilby  Street.  After  a  few  months  Mr. 
Hicks  retired  from  business.  Then  I  went  into 
the  office  of  Bridge  &  Brown  on  India  Wharf, 
where  I  continued  for  two  or  three  years,  and  they 
retired.  Thence  I  went  into  the  house  of  Atkin- 
son &  Rollins,  engaged  in  the  East  India  and 
Dutch  trades. 


6          Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

In  those  days  it  was  customary  for  young  men 
to  enter  counting-houses  in  the  lowest  capacity, 
such  as  opening  and  closing  the  office,  making 
fires,  copying  letters,  making  out  bills,  etc.,  ad- 
vancing gradually  to  higher  work,  book-keeper 
being  considered  the  highest  grade.  Arriving  at 
twenty-one  years,  his  education  completed,  and 
his  service  ended,  he  gave  way  to  the  next  in 
order,  and  was  ready  to  be  sent  abroad. 

Having  had  several  years'  experience  before 
entering  the  office  of  Atkinson  &  Rollins,  I  was 
advanced  rapidly  to  the  position  of  book-keeper, 
and  my  time  was  soon  up.  Arrangements  were 
made  for  a  voyage  for  me,  by  ship  "  Malabar,"  as 
joint  supercargo  with  Capt.  Covell,  to  the  Island 
of  Sumatra,  East  Indies ;  and  we  sailed  on  the 
twenty-sixth  day  of  November,  1827  (Sunday). 

After  a  pleasant  passage  of  a  hundred  and  two 
days,  we  arrived  and  anchored  in  Qualah  Battoo 
Roads  at  4  P.M.,  March  6,  1828. 

The  next  morning  we  went  on  shore,  and  called 
on  Po  Adams,  the  juretulis,  who  introduced  us  to 
the  Rajah  of  Qualah  Battoo.  Some  time  before 
my  experience  began  here,  a  native  Sumatran,  a 
Malay,  named  "  Chebunter,"  rose  from  a  low 
estate  to  an  eminence,  bringing  under  his  control 
almost  all  the  rajahs,  and  levying  and  collecting 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.  7 

a  duty  on  the  exports  of  pepper.  He  was  a  friend 
of  the  Americans,  assisting  them  whenever  in  need. 
By  many  he  was  called  the  "Young  Napoleon." 
He  daily  acquired  power  and  fame.  In  the  zenith 
of  his  glory  he  died.  His  American  friends  erected 
a  monument  to  his  memory  at  Qualah  Battoo. 

Po  Adams  was  a  noted  man  at  that  time.  A 
juretulis  is  an  interpreter,  also  secretary  to  the 
rajah  ;  does  all  the  trading  with  foreign  shipping, 
collects  duties  on  pepper  exports,  and  settles  with 
owners  of  merchandise  sold. 

March  Qth,  at  5  o'clock  A.M.,  Capt.  Covell  and 
myself  started  off  in  our  boat  for  "  Labon  Hadje," 
about  fourteen  miles  distant.  At  Mingin,  mid- 
way, we  breakfasted  on  board  brig  "  Wolga,"  then 
proceeded  on  our  way,  and  arrived  at  "  Labon 
Hadje"  at  noon. 

We  saw  the  rajah  and  juretulis.  They  agreed 
to  load  our  ship,  the  "  Malabar,"  before  any  other 
vessel,  at  the  same  rate  that  pepper  was  sold 
elsewhere. 

We  returned  to  the  "  Wolga,"  where  we  re- 
mained all  night.  Next  morning  at  3  A.M.  started, 
and  arrived  at  our  ship  at  5.30  A.M. 

We  immediately  got  under  sail,  and  reached 
"  Labon  Hadje"  at  12.30  P.M.,  anchored,  and 
saluted  with  two  guns. 


8          Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

On  the  nth  of  March  paid  the  rajah  and  jure- 
tulis  a  formal  visit.  The  inhabitants  of  the  place 
seemed  to  have  turned  out  en  masse  to  witness 
a  sham  fight,  and  the  celebration  of  some  festival 
which  took  place  at  the  time :  it  was  a  formidable 
show.  The  rajah,  Datoo  Moodah,  a  very  splen- 
did man,  desired  us  to  keep  close  to  him,  fearing, 
perhaps,  that  some  of  his  excited  followers  might 
forget  themselves. 

The  next  day,  March  I2th,  the  rajah  and  suite 
came  on  board  to  return  our  visit.  As  they  came 
alongside,  I  counted,  in  the  numerous  boats,  some 
ninety  persons,  a  number  which  might  have  some- 
what frightened  me,  had  I  been  a  little  better 
posted  as  to  the  Malay  character ;  but,  by  the 
side  of  Datoo  Moodah,  nothing  alarmed  me.  We 
treated  our  company  to  a  plentiful  supply  of  ship- 
bread,  raisins,  sugar,  and  dried  apples,  which  they 
heartily  enjoyed. 

We  fired  a  salute  of  three  guns  in  honor  of  the 
rajah  and  suite  ;  and  they  retired  at  2  P.M.,  having 
had  a  very  good  time. 

On  the  24th  of  March  we  completed  a  contract 
with  Datoo  Moodah  for  a  cargo  of  pepper  for  the 
ship  "Malabar"  at  six  dollars  per  picul,  juretulis 
fee  $  dollar  per  picul,  and  boatage  three  dollars  per 
hundred  bags. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.          9 

We  commenced  weighing  and  loading  on  the 
2Qth  of  March.  When  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
bags  to  warrant  a  boat-load  is  collected  about  the 
scales,  we  immediately  go  on  shore,  and  commence 
work.  The  scales  (in  this  case)  were  suspended 
from  a  tree.  The  weights  are  taken  by  hundred- 
weights, quarters,  and  pounds,  using  old-fashioned 
565  and  smaller  weights.  Our  first  day's  work 
was  very  small.  The  weights  and  scales  are  pro- 
vided by  the  ship,  and  the  weighing  done  by  our 
sailors ;  and  the  weights  taken  by  the  juretulis  and 
the  supercargo,  who  frequently  compare  notes ; 
so  that,  when  the  day's  work  is  completed,  the 
accounts  being  correct,  the  juretulis  goes  off  to 
the  ship  with  the  supercargo,  and  receives  in 
Spanish  dollars  the  amount. 

Our  first  day  showed  149  bags  pepper  weighed 
as  follows  :  — 

cwt.  qrs.    Ibs. 

70     3     24 
Multiply  by    4  for  quarters. 

283  qrs.     Double,  and  carry  I  place  to  the  left. 
566 

18     Add  three-fourths  of  the  pounds. 

Piculs  59.61  catties,  @  $6  per  picul  =  $357.66. 

I  give  these  figures,  that  any  one  interested  may 
understand  the  method  of  the  Malays. 


IO         Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

One  evening  there  came  on  board  a  young  man, 
claiming  to  be  a  rajah,  with  his  suite  of  four  or 
five  men.  We  had  heard  of  him  before.  He  was 
the  son-in-law  of  Datoo  Moodah,  and  had  a  small 
fort  some  three  miles  south  of  the  weighing-place 
of  Labon  Hadje.  He  had  determined  to  establish 
a  pepper-market  at  his  own  landing-place,  inspired 
by  the  success  of  "  Chebunter."  The  object  of  this 
visit  was  to  induce  us  to  aid  him,  and  take  pepper 
at  his  scales  alternately  day  and  day,  with  Labon 
Hadje,  offering  us  some  inducement.  Knowing 
the  rights  and  power  of  Datoo  Moodah,  we  declined 
having  any  thing  whatever  to  do  with  this  man. 

The  next  evening  he  called  again,  to  notify  us 
that  on  the  following  day  he  should  open  fire  on 
our  scales,  if  we  persisted  in  our  resolution  to 
refuse  his  pepper ;  and  he  departed  threateningly. 

On  the  following  morning  a  large  quantity  of 
pepper  had  been  brought  to  the  scales.  We  had 
weighed  many  bags,  not  thinking  of  any  attack, 
when  suddenly  the  report  of  a  cannon  was  heard : 
at  the  same  time  a  ball  struck  the  beach  a  little 
distance  from  the  foot  of  the  scales,  and  bounded 
upward  among  the  trees,  scattering  the  gravel  on 
those  standing  near,  creating  a  general  stampede. 
Many  of  the  pepper-owners  conveyed  away  their 
stock.  A  grand  consultation  was  held  :  after  half 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.          1 1 

an  hour  it  was  concluded  to  renew  the  weighing. 
All  was  going  on  well  again,  when  a  second  report, 
with  startling  effect,  was  heard.  The  crowd  dis- 
persed in  every  direction.  The  ball  struck  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  spot,  scattering  the  gravel,  and 
bounding  through  the  trees,  as  before.  In  a  very 
short  time  the  pepper  had  wholly  disappeared,  and 
not  a  man  was  to  be  seen  near  the  premises. 

Capt.  Covell,  a  very  brave  and  fearless  man, 
was  bent  upon  at  once  attacking  the  fort,  and 
spiking  the  guns.  Datoo  Moodah  besought  him 
to  do  nothing  of  the  kind :  this  was  his  affair, 
which  he  should  settle  in  his  own  way.  But  Capt. 
Covell  persisted,  proceeded  to  the  ship,  called  for 
volunteers,  and  fitted  out  our  boat  with  ten  men, 
each  armed  with  a  musket,  and  making,  with 
Capt.  Covell  and  myself,  a  force  of  twelve.  Every 
man  on  board  the  ship  volunteered. 

I  would  mention  that  one  of  our  crew  —  by 
name  Van  Ransalear,  of  the  Patroon  family  — 
was  a  graduate  of  West  Point.  To-  him  had  been 
given  charge  of  the  armament  on  board  from  the 
commencement  of  the  voyage,  and  there  had  been 
much  drilling  of  the  sailors.  The  muskets  were 
polished,  and  looked  like  new  pieces.  I  was  sta- 
tioned in  the  bow,  and  Capt.  Covell  took  his 
station  in  the  stern. 


1 2        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  boat  was  cast  adrift  from  the  ship  amidst 
cheers  of  those  remaining  on  board;  and  as  she 
sped  through  the  water,  rowed  by  practised  oars- 
men, the  muskets  gleaming  in  the  sunlight,  and 
the  flag  floating  in  the  breeze,  she  made  a  very 
formidable  appearance  for  a  little  thing.  As  we 
approached  the  shore  of  the  fort,  the  drums  called 
to  arms ;  and  a  platoon  of  about  twenty  men, 
armed  with  blunderbusses,  marched  down  to 
within  three  or  four  rods  of  the  landing,  and 
halted  in  line.  Our  boat  grounded  on  the  coral 
reef.  I  jumped  out  to  steady  her,  and,  being 
barefooted,  lacerated  my  feet  very  badly.  An 
officer  then  came  down  to  the  boat,  asking  in 
good  English,  what  we  wanted.  We  replied, 
that  no  more  guns  be  fired.  He  answered,  "  No 
more  will  be  fired."  He  then  turned  to  me,  as 
I  was  on  shore,  saying,  "It  will  be  much  better 
for  you  to  go  on  board  your  ship."  We  then  left 
and  went  over  to  the  Labon  Hadje  scales,  but 
could  not  convince  the  men  that  there  would  be 
no  more  firing.  Alarmed,  they  refused  to  bring 
more  pepper  to  the  scales. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  at  8  A.M.,  we  weighed 
anchor,  and  sailed  for  Muckie.  Arrived  at  6 
P.M.,  and  saluted. 

Shortly  after  leaving  Labon  Hadje,  we  learned 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        13 

that  Datoo  Moodah  sent  a  party  over  to  his  son- 
in-law  for  a  peaceful  interview  ;  but  they  (the  party) 
seized  upon  him,  and  stabbed  him  to  death. 

May  \*]th.  —  The  loading  of  the  "Malabar"  was 
completed  this  day,  having  on  board  9,970  bags, 
weighing  4,864^0-  piculs  of  pepper  in  bulk. 

On  the  1 8th  of  May  we  set  sail  from  Muckie 
for  home  at  6.30  P.M.,  with  light  northwardly 
winds. 

Arrived  in  Boston  on  Sunday,  Aug.  28th,  1828. 


14        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER   II. 

MY  second  voyage  abroad  was  by  ship 
"Pagoda,"  Capt.  Cassius  Darling,  to  Cuba 
and  St.  Petersburg,  I  being  supercargo  of  the  ship. 
We  sailed  from  Boston,  February,  1829.  Gen.  Vives 
was  governor  of  Cuba  at  this  time.  Piracies 
were  said  to  be  very  numerous  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cuba.  Four  vessels  were  reported  captured  ; 
viz.,  "New  Priscilla,"  "Attentive,"  and  two  foreign 
vessels.  At  Havana  and  Matanzas  I  purchased  a 
cargo  of  white  sugars,  and  sailed  for  St.  Peters- 
burg, April  1 2th.  Arrived  at  Elsineur,  May  22nd, 
and  was  quarantined  there  four  days.  Arrived  at 
Cronstadt  and  St.  Petersburg,  June  1st. 

Sold  my  cargo  promptly,  and  returned  to  Bos- 
ton per  brig  "  Russian,"  —  Capt.  Rider,  —  with 
Mr.  Edward  Austin,  a  fellow-passenger. 

The  result  of  these  my  first  two  voyages  was 
very  satisfactory. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  on  this  last 
voyage.  We  arrived  safely  at  Boston,  and  entered 
the  harbor  in  company  with  ship  "Candace,"  which 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         15 

vessel  was  homeward  bound  from  a  voyage  of 
three  years  from  the  north-west  coast  of  America. 

In  Boston,  up  to  1830,  or  later,  it  was  the  cus- 
tom for  merchants  to  meet  on  "  Change,"  as  it  was 
called,  on  State  Street,  between  the  hours  of  I 
and  2  P.M.,  to  discuss  the  news  of  the  day,  and 
to  transact  any  business  that  might  offer. 

One  day  I  was  standing  there,  looking  for  some 
one,  when  an  aristocratic  old  gentleman  touched 
me  on  the  shoulder,  saying,  "Pray,  sir,  can  you  tell 
me  who  that  gentleman  is,  in  front  of  that  door  ? " 

"Oh,  yes!"  I  replied:  "that  is  Mr.  Benjamin 
Humphrey  of  Boston." 

"  Well,  he  is  the  image  of  Gen.  Washington. 
I  have  seen  and  knew  the  general  for  many 
years." 

Upon  inquiry,  I  learned  that  he  was  a  Southerner. 

My  third  voyage  was  per  ship  "  Candace "  — 
Capt.  Lindsay  —  from  Boston  to  Sumatra,  which 
sailed  Oct.  2ist,  1829.  We  had  an  agreeable  pas- 
sage to  the  southward  of  Cape  de  Verde  Islands, 
—  to  latitude  7°  north;  longitude,  23°  west, — 
twenty-three  days  out,  when  we  came  into  what 
is  called  (by  sailors)  the  doldrums,  —  squally, 
rainy,  and  changeable  weather,  sailors  constantly 
employed  in  taking  in  and  spreading  sail. 

About  9  P.M.  of   Nov.  1 2th,  I  was  lying  on  the 


1 6        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

ship's  transom,  with  my  head  to  the  cabin-window, 
when  I  heard  music  coming  from  without  in  ex- 
quisite strains, —  celestial,  I  thought.  I  hastened 
on  deck  to  inquire.  Nothing  had  been  heard 
there.  All  hands  were  at  work  taking  in  sail.  I 
returned  to  the  cabin,  and  listened  in  vain  for 
more  of  the  music. 

At  daybreak  the  mate  of  the  ship  came  into 
the  cabin,  and  announced  to  the  captain  that  a 
long,  low,  black  vessel  was  following  astern;  with 
all  sail  set.  All  sail  on  our  own  vessel  was 
ordered.  I  went  on  deck,  and  saw  in  the  distance, 
astern,  a  black  brig  in  full  chase.  After  break- 
fast, of  which  very  little  was  partaken,  we  took 
our  stations  on  the  quarter-deck,  all  sail  possible 
being  pressed  on  both  vessels.  Occasionally  a 
squall  would  strike  us,  but  we  kept  all  sail  spread, 
at  the  imminent  risk  of  our  spars ;  while  the  chaser 
would  drop  hers,  but  speedily  set  them  again. 
Soon  she  rounded  to,  hoisted  a  red  flag,  and  fired 
a  gun.  The  ball  struck  the  water  a  few  rods 
astern  of  us.  After  this  she  continued  to  fire 
every  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes.  Gradually  the 
balls  reached  our  vessel,  and  passed  over  her,  or 
through  her  rigging. 

At  about  4  P.M.  she  was  alongside,  and  we  hove 
to.  During  the  interval  from  daybreak  to  this, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        17 

4  P.M.,  piratical  stories  were  discussed  by  officers 
and  crew,  and  their  imagination  wrought  up  to  the 
highest  pitch.  The  robbery  of  the  ship  "  Topaz  " 
of  Boston  from  Calcutta,  and  the  murder  of  all 
hands,  including  the  supercargoes,  was  fresh  in 
our  minds.  We  had  reason  to  expect  the  worst. 

Immediately  a  boat  was  despatched  from  the 
brig  with  ten  or  a  dozen  hands,  and  came  along- 
side. One  man  stepped  up  the  gangway ;  and,  as 
he.  appeared  above  the  railing,  he  was  greeted  by 
our  second  mate,  Watts,  who  was  in  attendance, 
with,  "Why!  how  are  you,  Antonio?  I  am  glad 
to  see  you."  Without  moving  a  muscle,  or  saying 
a  word  in  reply,  Antonio  demanded,  "  What  ship 
is  this  ?  where  bound,  and  what  cargo  ?  "  to  which 
the  captain  answered,  "  This  is  the  ship  '  Candace/ 
bound  to  Sumatra,  and  in  ballast." 

Antonio  then  said,  "  Remain  as  you  are.  I  shall 
report  to  my  captain."  He  made  a  motion  to 
descend,  when  I  stepped  to  the  rail,  and  asked, 
"What  brig  is  that?"  — "A  man-of-war,"  he 
answered,  and  departed. 

During  their  absence,  Watts  became  terribly 
excited,  declaring  this  fellow  to  be  a  pirate,  and 
one  who  had  been  tried  for  his  life,  and  escaped. 
He  had  been  steward  of  ship  "  Messenger "  at 
Havana,  of  which  vessel  Watts  was  second  mate, 


1 8        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

and  had  urged  Watts  to  join  him  on  that  voyage 
to  Guinea,  and  gave  him  glowing  accounts  of 
what  was  to  come  of  it :  the  vessel  was  then  fitting 
out.  Watts  declined,  and  came  to  Boston,  and 
shipped  as  second  mate  on  board  the  "  Candace," 
little  expecting  to  see  this  Antonio  again.  He 
now  gave  up  all  hopes  of  escaping  from  these 
desperadoes  :  he  knew  that  we  should  all  be  mur- 
dered !  After  these  accounts  from  Watts,  we  lost 
no  time  in  secreting  valuables,  and  preparing  for 
the  worst.  It  was  determined  to  blow  up  the  ship 
if  violence  were  attempted.  A  steel  and  flint  and 
a  loaded  pistol  were  placed  in  the  lazaret  for  the 
purpose.  All  the  arms  on  board  were  scattered 
about,  to  be  at  hand  in  case  of  emergency. 

The  boat  soon  returned,  with  a  much  larger 
party.  They  rushed  on  board,  brandishing  their 
daggers  and  knives,  and  crying,  "  Go  below,  go 
below!"  until  every  man  was  under  deck.  The 
hatchways  were  then  closed,  and  much  work  was 
done,  such  as  removing  the  long-boat  from  her 
berth,  and  making  preparations  for  discharging 
cargo.  After  a  while,  discovering,  apparently,  there 
was  no  cargo  aboard,  they  came  to  the  companion- 
way,  and  down  into  the  cabin.  An  officer  beckoned 
Capt.  Lindsay  to  go  on  deck ;  but,  before  reaching 
it,  he  was  ordered  back.  Then  I  was  ordered  up, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        19 

and,  as  soon  as  seen,  ordered  back;  but  I  saw 
Antonio-  on  deck.  He  pointed  down  into  the 
cabin  to  Watts,  indicating  him  to  be  the  man. 
The  officer  then  ordered  up  Watts ;  but  he,  prefer- 
ring to  remain  where  he  was,  declined  to  move  ; 
whereupon  two  rough-looking  desperadoes,  knives 
in  hand,  jumped  down  the  stairway,  and,  seizing 
him  by  the  collar,  lifted  him  on  deck  in  a  very 
short  time,  using  their  knives  more  or  less. 

After  the  exit  of  Watts,  several  of  the  gang, 
including  Antonio,  came  into  the  cabin,  and  de- 
manded a  list  of  the  cargo,  saying  if  any  thing 
was  found,  not  mentioned,  the  life  of  every  one 
on  board  would  be  taken. 

Some  one  of  the  officers,  pointing  to  the  hatch 
of  the  lazaret,  said,  "  There  you  will  find  all." 
Instantly  the  hatch  was  removed  ;  and  there  the 
specie,  some  twenty  thousand  dollars,  —  silver  Span- 
ish pillared  dollars,  —  in  boxes,  stood  in  full  sight, 
together  with  a  quantity  of  opium,  and  the  copper 
magazine. 

The  specie  and  opium  were  hoisted  up  through 
the  skylight-hatch  to  the  deck :  the  magazine  was 
opened,  and  much  powder  spilled  on  the  floor 
of  the  lazaret,  by  reason  of  the  rotten  woollen 
charges.  When  every  thing  was  removed,  they 
began  with  axes,  hatchets,  and  chisels  to  cut  up 


2O        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

the  floor  in  search  of  further  booty.  I  thought 
they  would  set  fire  to  the  powder,  and  save  us  the 
work  of  blowing  up  the  ship ;  but  we  escaped.  As 
the  last  of  the  opium-cases  went  on  deck,  Antonio 
said  to  me,  "  We  will  make  you  a  present  of  this." 

There  was  a  general  ransacking  of  the  whole 
ship  during  the  removal  of  the  specie,  and  every 
thing  that  could  be  made  use  of  by  these  fellows 
was  taken  away. 

Antonio  walked  into  my  stateroom,  and  directed 
my  trunks  to  be  opened.  I  unlocked  them  ;  and 
after  looking  over  my  clothes,  and  seeing  that 
they  were  for  shore-use  only,  he  said,  "  Shut  them 
up."  He  then  opened  my  writing-desk,  and  saw 
a  small  box  containing  a  collection  of  coins  which 
I  had  gathered  in  Russia,  Cuba,  and  other  places  : 
this  he  appropriated,  and,  closing  the  desk,  came 
out  from  the  stateroom,  saying,  "  Shut  this  door, 
or  these  fellows  will  take  every  thing."  He  then 
pushed  the  table  against  the  door.  Certainly 
Antonio  was  very  considerate  in  my  case. 

A  cask  of  wine  on  board,  as  ship-stores,  was 
found  by  them,  and  drank  largely  of,  making  them 
very  lively  toward  the  last.  The  fellows  then  left 
the  cabin,  spiking  up  the  doors  of  the  companion- 
way.  At  seven  o'clock,  it  getting  dark,  they 
began  to  leave  us.  We  followed  up  through  the 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        21 

skylight,  and  saw  the  last  man  go  over  the  railing. 
They  had  gone  !  This  was  a  great  relief,  such  as 
one  can  hardly  conceive  of  who  has  not  passed 
through  a  similar  experience.  Shortly  after,  we 
were  horror-stricken  by  discovering  the  deck  of 
the  ship  covered  with  blood.  Upon  searching,  we 
found  the  doorways  of  the  forecastle  also  spiked, 
and  very  securely.  Clearing  away  the  fastenings, 
we  released  the  crew,  together  with  poor  Watts, 
for  whom  we  had  suffered  the  greatest  anxiety. 
He  had  been  cut  severely  upon  the  fleshy  part  of 
the  thigh,  in  his  removal  from  the  cabin,  and  bled 
so  freely  as  to  half  fill  his  boot ;  yet  he  was  not 
aware  of  having  been  wounded,  so  great  was  his 
excitement  at  the  handling  of  the  pirates  ;  and, 
evidently  anticipating  something  worse,  he  became 
oblivious  of  the  present.  After  a  short  consulta- 
tion, we  determined  to  return  to  Boston. 

The  next  morning,  the  mate  called  us  all  on 
deck  for  an  inspection,  before  the  usual  washing 
down.  It  seems  the  pigs  (some ,  half-dozen  or 
more)  were  stabbed  at  random  with  the  boarding- 
pikes,  and  allowed  to  go  about  until  exhausted  and 
dead,  thus  washing  the  decks  with  blood.  They 
were  then  taken  away  by  the  pirates,  together  with 
all  the  poultry  except  two  or  three  chickens,  which 
escaped  in  the  rigging. 


22        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  celestial  music  mentioned  at  the  beginning 
of  this  account,  was  probably  from  the  crew  of 
the  pirate  vessel,  which  had  doubtless  approached 
very  near  to  us,  following  our  cabin-lights ;  and 
the  singing  of  the  sailors,  as  they  made  or  short- 
ened sail,  caused  that  mysterious  music  floating 
over  the  water. 

This  robbery  was  committed  on  the  I3th  of 
November,  1829.  We  arrived  home  at  Boston  on 
the  loth  of  December. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        23 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  "  Candace "  refitted,  and,  with  a  new  set 
of  officers  and  crew,  started  afresh  on  her 
voyage  from  Boston,  sailing  Jan.  ist,  1830,  for  Su- 
matra, and,  without  any  thing  of  interest  occurring, 
arrived  at  Muckie,  April  I2th.  We  commenced 
at  once  loading  pepper,  bought  at  $4.25  per  picul ; 
boatage,  $3  per  hundred  bags ;  and  juretulis  fee, 
10  cents  per  picul.  It  being  late  in  the  season, 
we  had  to  move  from  Muckie,  and  complete  her 
lading  at  several  other  ports,  —  viz.,  South  Tallapow. 
Sowung  Secoolat,  and  Labon  Hadje,  —  and  sailed 
May  2/th  for  Leghorn,  and  arrived  there  Nov.  6th. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  1830,  one  fine 
day,  on  our  way  up  the  Mediterranean,  the  atmos- 
phere clear  as  crystal,  easterly  wind  blowing  about 
a  seven-knot  breeze,  we  passed  the  French  fleet 
of  some  fifty  sail  of  vessels,  from  three-decker 
ships  down  to  the  smallest  class.  The  three-deck- 
ers were  in  the  van,  with  all  possible  sail  spread 
before  the  wind. 

The  "  Candace,"  in  front  of  a  three-decker,  close 


24        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

hauled  with  larboard  tacks  aboard,  passed  so  close 
that  it  seemed  almost  impossible  to  escape  being 
run  down  by  the  mighty  ship,  the  largest  of  the 
fleet  ;  but  she  sheered  at  last,  and  allowed  us  to 
pass  in  safety.  This  fleet  formed  the  grandest 
spectacle.  All  were  flying  the  tricolored  flag. 

When  we  left  America,  nearly  a  year  before, 
Charles  X.  was  the  reigning  monarch  of  France, 
with  no  signs  of  trouble  ;  but  we  knew  there 
must  have  been  a  revolution.  This  proved  to  be 
the  fact.  Charles  X.  had  fled,  and  Lafayette  and 
Louis  Philippe  were  at  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment. 

Including  quarantine,  we  were  six  months  from 
shore  to  shore,  it  being  the  longest  time  on  ship- 
board, without  stepping  on  shore,  I  ever  experi- 
enced. 

Another  voyage  to  Sumatra  was  concluded 
upon,  to  terminate  at  Boston,  this  making  my 
fourth  voyage. 

In  the  interval  of  refitting,  I  made  an  excursion 
for  pleasure  and  information  ;  visited  Pisa  and 
Florence,  and  went  the  usual  rounds  at  these 
places.  I  then  engaged  for  a  trip  to  Rome,  with 
a  veturino,  to  be  five  days  on  the  way,  with  four 
other  passengers,  —  viz.,  a  priest ;  Lieut.  Airy  of 
the  British  frigate  "Blonde,"  who  had  just  re- 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        25 

turned  from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  whither  they 
had  transported  the  remains  of  the  late  queen  of 
those  islands ;  a  newly  married  pair,  being  a 
Bolognese  officer  in  the  Roman  service,  and  his 
bride;  and  myself,  making  five.  As  I  was  en- 
gaged to  attend  a  grand  ball  on  the  evening  of 
the  departure  of  the  vetura,  I  took  a  post-chaise 
later,  and  overtook  it  in  the  morning,  and  joined 
my  companions,  —  a  very  pleasant  company. 

The  priest  rode  with  the  veturino  outside ;  the 
married  pair  inside,  occupying  the  back  seat ; 
Lieut.  Airy  and  myself  took  the  front  seat :  thus 
we  travelled  on  very  leisurely,  taking  two  meals 
per  day,  —  breakfast  and  dinner.  The  bride  was 
my  vis-a-vis,  and  I  admired  her  very  much. 

Capt.  R.  D.  Blinn  of  the  "  Candace  "  (my 
captain)  had  passed  almost  his  whole  life  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands  and  the  north-west  coast  of 
America;  and  during  the  year  I  was  at  sea  with 
him,  I  picked  up  much  knowledge  of  those  places, 
quite  astonishing  the  English  sailor,  as  I  related 
many  of  the  anecdotes  familiar  to  everybody  on 
the  islands ;  and  a  pleasant  intimacy  grew  up 
between  us. 

We  passed  through  Sienna,  where  there  is  a 
beautiful  church  (containing  busts  of  the  popes), 
which  we  all  visited ;  also  passed  through  Monte- 


26        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

fiascone,  celebrated  for  its  wine :  we  tested  its 
sweet  and  delicious  quality. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  our  journey,  as  we  were 
driving  along,  about  4  P.M.,  we  came  to  a  tabaret. 
The  veturino  stopped  at  the  door,  and  asked 
for  cigars  and  fire :  several  rough-looking  fellows 
came  forward,  one  of  them  speaking  English, 
claimed  acquaintance  with  me,  having  known  me 
in  London.  At  that  time  I  had  never  been  in 
London.  We  drove  on,  settling  into  our  seats. 
The  sun  set;  the  tinges  brightened,  then  faded, 
leaving  the  clouds  disrobed  and  of  a  dingy  gray ; 
the  mists  rose,  darkness  came  upon  the  face  of  the 
land,  and  it  was  night.  One  after  another  sank 
into  repose :  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels,  and  now 
and  then  the  crack  of  the  whip,  alone  were  heard. 
To  these  I  listened  in  my  drowsiness  ;  but  a  deeper 
sleep  was  just  shutting  out  even  these  sounds,  when 
suddenly  the  bride  gave  a  piercing  shriek.  We 
could  not  think  what  had  happened :  then  a  com- 
motion on  top  of  the  coach  took  place.  A  gang 
of  fellows  was  attempting  to  loosen  the  baggage 
on  the  roof,  but  the  herculean  veturino  and  the 
valiant  priest  discomfited  the  robbers ;  and  the 
horses  were  whipped  up  to  the  top  of  their  speed, 
and  fled  away. 

At  the  back  of  the  coach  was  a   panel-hole,  a 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        27 

lapel  covering  it.  Feeling  something  touch  her 
head,  the  bride  raised  her  hand  to  ascertain 
the  cause,  when  she  took  hold  of  a  big,  brawny 
hand,  which  forced  her  to  make  that  shriek  so 
thrilling. 

The  horses  were  kept  on  until  we  arrived  at  a 
post-house,  —  a  large  castle  of  a  place,  —  any 
thing  but  inviting.  We  were  ushered  into  a  room 
up-stairs.  In  passing  through  the  passage,  we  saw 
the  pot-room,  where  sat  some  half-dozen  dirty- 
looking,  bearded  rascals  at  their  potations,  envel- 
oped in  smoke.  We  put  up  for  the  night  (this 
was  not  the  house  where  we  had  intended  to  stop). 
Dinner  was  ordered  for  the  party.  After  a  while 
it  was  served ;  and  we  five  sat  down  to  appease 
our  hunger,  and  talk  over  the  incidents  of  the 
day :  the  poor  bride's  imagination  wandered  so 
much  as  to  almost  take  away  her  reason;  she 
believed  the  banditti  who  infested  the  country  had 
marked  us  out  for  plunder,  and  besought  her  hus- 
band not  to  proceed  at  the  appointed  hour,  which 
was  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  When  about 
half  through  the  meal,  we  were  startled  by  a  great 
disturbance  below.  Such  a  clattering  of  chairs, 
knocking  over  of  tables,  smashing  of  crockery, 
oaths,  and  yelling,  were  never  heard  before.  All 
jumped  up  from  the  table  to  rush  down-stairs. 


28        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  bride,  sitting  by  my  side,  clasped  her  arms 
around  me,  shrieking  out,  "  Non  mi  lascia,  non  mi 
lascia!" —  "Mai,  non  mail"  I  responded,  and 
continued  to  hold  her  closely.  When  quiet  was 
restored  below,  the  gentlemen  returned,  together 
with  the  veturino,  who  was  greatly  excited.  I 
passed  the  bride  over  to  the  groom  :  he  received 
her  with  a  " grazie"  The  persons  whom  we  met  at 
the  tabaret  the  day  before,  and  who  attempted  the 
robbery  of  baggage,  had  an  encounter  at  the  table 
below,  and,  threatening  our  veturino,  swore  he 
should  never  reach  Rome  alive. 

After  much  deliberation,  it  was  determined  to 
continue  on  in  the  morning  at  five  o'clock.  All 
then  retired  to  their  allotted  chambers  for  the 
night.  I  was  ushered  into  a  very  large  room. 
After  bolting  the  door,  I  made  a  thorough  search 
of  the  place :  from  one  of  the  windows  of  the 
apartment,  I  saw  a  large  heap  of  manure,  showing 
that  the  room  underneath  was  used  as  a  stable. 
Pondering  what  I  should  do,  a  rap  at  the  door 
startled  me.  I  went  to  it,  and  inquired,  "  Chi  e?  " 
When  Lieut.  Airy  responded,  "  Let  me  in,"  I 
opened  it ;  and  he  entered,  saying  he  did  not  like 
the  looks  of  things,  and  he  thought  we  had  better 
remain  together  here  in  my  room,  to  which  sug- 
gestion I  readily  assented.  "I  cannot  sleep  a 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        29 

wink,"  said  he.  "  In  the  morning  we  are  to  pass 
through  that  cursed  forest,  where  more  murders 
and  robberies  are  committed  than  in  any  other 
part  of  Italy.  I  have  a  great  mind  to  wait  the 
arrival  of  the  malle-poste,  and  go  on  with  an 
escort."  —  "Nonsense,"  said  I:  "the  post  will  be 
full,  and  you  will  lose  your  chance  of  getting  on, 
perhaps  for  days."  And  it  was  concluded  we 
should  keep  together.  The  lieutenant  was  evi- 
dently much  concerned. 

Not  very  long  after  this,  there  came  another  rap. 
This  time  the  veturino  was  admitted.  He  came  to 
say,  although  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  given 
out  as  the  hour  of  departure,  for  good  reasons  he 
had  changed  the  time  to  three  o'clock ;  and  he 
wished  us  to  be  ready  at  that  hour,  and  to  come 
off  as  quietly  as  possible.  At  the  appointed  time 
he  came  to  our  door  with  his  little  flock ;  and  we 
silently  moved  away  together,  and  started  from  the 
stable,  and  for  some  ten  miles  kept  up  our  speed 
to  the  best  abilities  of  the  horses; 'one  object  of 
the  veturino  being,  to  get  beyond  a  certain  forest 
before  daylight.  Nothing  occurred  to  startle  the 
imagination  of  our  passengers  until  morning,  when 
a  herald  from  Rome  came  rushing  by,  announcing 
the  death  of  Pope  Pio  VI II.,  which  occurred  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  previous  day. 


3O        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  many  domes  and  towers  bespoke  our  ap- 
proach to  the  Eternal  City,  and  finally  the  mighty 
dome  of  St.  Peter's  burst  upon  our  view.  And 
then  we  soon  passed  that  splendid  portal  into  the 
magnificent  Piazza  del  Popolo. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        31 


CHAPTER   IV. 

MY  first  visit  to  Rome !  We  stopped  at  a 
hotel  on  Via  Condotti,  just  out  from  Piazza 
di  Spagna.  In  the  evening  I  went  to  St.  Peter's 
Church,  to  witness  the  procession  attending  the 
body  of  the  Holy  Father  to  the  Basilica,  where 
it  was  to  lie  in  state.  The  body  was  placed  in 
a  sitting  posture  on  a  throne  lifted  by  four  mules, 
and  was  clad  in  the  fullest  costume  of  state ; 
the  streets  through  which  the  procession  passed 
were  illuminated  brilliantly,  and  lined  with  troops  ; 
it  passed  through  the  arcade  of  the  left  wing 
of  the  Basilica,  accompanied  by  a  large  band 
of  musicians  discoursing  very  pathetic  music, 
such  as  I  had  seldom  heard.  It  was  raining 
hard  all  this  time.  I  drove  home  Without  having 
entered  the  church.  This  pageant  surpassed  any 
thing  I  had  ever  witnessed. 

A  day  or  two  after,  while  descending  the  Pin- 
cian  Hill  to  the  Piazza,  I  noticed  a  crowd  enter 
the  Porta  del  Popolo,  attended  by  policemen, 
together  with  porters  bearing  several  trunks.  I 


32        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

thought  of  our  assailants,  and  possibly  that 
these  fellows  were  of  the  same  gang  that  at- 
tacked us. 

The  death  of  the  Pope  interfered  somewhat 
with  our  excursions,  many  places  being  closed. 
By  the  exertions  of  the  English  and  American 
consuls,  a  special  permit  was  obtained  for  a  party 
(of  which  I  was  one)  to  visit  the  Vatican  and 
Capitol  buildings.  I  had  the  honor  of  kissing  the 
great  toe  of  His  Holiness,  Pio  VIIL,  in  St. 
Peter's  Church.  Witnessed  the  procession  of  the 
cardinals  going  into  conclave  for  the  election  of  a 
new  Pope,  —  a  large  number  of  decrepit  men.  On 
an  occasion  of  this  kind,  all  the  cardinals  are  usu- 
ally present.  Previously  we  had  inspected  the 
apartments  allotted  to  these  holy  men.  Each 
suite  was  furnished  according  to  the  taste  and 
ability  of  the  intended  occupant,  —  some  sumptu- 
ously, some  plainly. 

As  soon  as  the  procession  had  entered  the 
building,  the  doorway  was  immediately  closed  up 
by  masons  with  bricks  and  mortar.  Thus,  the 
cardinals  could  have  no  communication  with  the 
outer  world,  —  the  building  being  plain  brick 
walls,  without  a  window. 

After  each  ballot  for  a  Pope,  the  tickets  are 
thrown  into  a  fire;  and  the  smoke  issues  from  a 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        33 

flue  into  the  street,  for  the  information  of  the 
public. 

During  my  stay  in  Rome,  no  election  was 
accomplished.  Sometimes  several  weeks  elapse 
before  a  decision  is  arrived  at. 

I  returned  to  Florence  by  malle-poste  with 
escort,  and  to  Leghorn. 

We  sailed  on  the  loth  of  January,  1831,  from 
Leghorn,  per  ship  "  Candace,"  —  Capt.  R.  D. 
Blinn,  —  for  Sumatra  and  Boston,  —  being  the 
second  voyage  of  the  "  Candace,"  and  fourth  voy- 
age in  my  course.  Arrived  at  Patty,  Sumatra, 
June  5th,  and  contracted  for  pepper  at  $4.50  per 
picul;  boatage,  $3.25  per  100  bags:  then  at  Taloo 
Gooloompung,  —  $4.50  per  picul;  boatage,  $3.00 
per  100  bags:  then  at  Muckie,  —  $4-75  per  picul; 
boatage,  $3.00  per  100  bags;  juretulis  commis- 
sion, $o.  10:  then  at  Mingin,  —  $4-75  :  North  Talla- 
pow,  —  same  price;  boatage,  $3.50  per  100  bags; 
juretulis  commission,  $0.12^  per  picul. 

Sailed  from  Mingin,  Sumatra,  for-  Boston,  July 
28th.  Arrived  at  Boston,  Nov.  24th,  and  closed  up 
the  business  of  the  fourth  voyage. 

Fifth  voyage,  per  brig  "  Wolga,"  Capt.  Evans, 
for  Cuba  and  Russia.  Sailed  Feb.  22nd.  Arrived 
at  Havana,  March  loth.  Loaded  with  sugars,  and 
sailed  for  St.  Petersburg,  April  I2th,  and  arrived 


34        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

July  ist.  Took  apartments  at  Mrs.  Wilson's,  Galer- 
noy  Oulitz.  Found  St.  Petersburg  the  same  mag- 
nificent city  as  before,  bright  and  dazzling  as  a 
new  coin. 

There  is  no  city  in  Europe  that  strikes  the  eye 
with  so  much  grandeur  and  magnificence  as  St. 
Petersburg.  It  has  no  associations  to  impart  an 
interest  to  it  other  than  that  of  the  indomitable 
perseverance  of  its  founder :  it  is  almost  wholly 
dependent  upon  the  name  it  has  acquired,  of  the 
"  Most  Magnificent,"  for  its  attractiveness ;  and 
well  it  deserves  this  name ;  for  what  other  city 
has  a  Newski  perspective  ?  —  a  street  three  miles 
in  length,  perfectly  level  and  straight,  lined  with 
superb  buildings,  bounded  at  one  extremity  by  the 
church  of  Alexander  Newski,  with  its  silvered 
dome,  and  at  the  other  by  the  Admiralty,  with 
an  immense  spire  sheathed  with  ducat  gold ;  an 
Isaac's  Church,  with  its  polished  granite  columns 
with  golden  bases,  and  Corinthian  capitals  (then 
in  course  of  construction) ;  an  imperial  palace, 
with  a  facade  of  a  mile  and  a  half  in  extent,  and 
a  corresponding  piazza  in  front ;  a  world-renowned 
equestrian  statue  of  Peter  the  Great  in  bronze 
gilt;  streets  paraded  by  a  motley  set  of  soldiers, 
officers,  and  grandees  from  all  the  northern  tribes 
of  Europe  and  Asia;  and  Circassians,  Georgians, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        35 

Persians,  etc.,  unequalled  in  splendor  of  dress, — 
a  city,  to  build  which,  an  empire  was  drained  ;  yet, 
when  the  eye  is  satiated,  what  a  wearisome  desert 
it  becomes  !  And  Nicholas  the  Czar,  if  it  were 
possible,  outshone  himself,  as  I  remembered  him 
on  a  previous  visit,  —  Nicholas,  the  finest-looking 
man  in  the  world !  I  saw  him  almost  daily  in  the 
streets,  sometimes  on  horseback,  and  sometimes 
in  carriage. 

At  this  time  Mr.  John  Randolph  (a  very  eccen- 
tric gentleman)  represented  our  country  at  the 
Russian  court.  He  arrived  in  the  sloop-of-war 
"Jamestown"  at  Cronstadt,  and  gave  notice  that 
he  should  take  the  packet-boat  to  St.  Petersburg. 
The  packet  waited  some  time  for  him.  During 
the  passage,  the  fares  are  usually  collected.  When 
they  came  to  Mr.  Randolph,  he  tendered  the  cus- 
tomary fare.  The  purser  said,  "In  consideration 
of  the  detention  of  the  boat  for  your  special 
convenience,  something  additional  is  expected." 
Mr.  Randolph  replied  that  he  should  pay  only 
the  usual  fare  ;  and  that  was  all  he  did  pay. 

At  St.  Petersburg,  on  his  arrival  at  the  house 
prepared  for  him,  he  declined  to  accept  it,  and 
ordered  the  coachman  to  take  him  to  the  boarding- 
house  patronized  by  the  Americans.  On  his  arrival 
there,  Mrs.  Wilson,  the  landlady,  had  to  inform 


36        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

him  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  accommodate  him, 
as  her  house  was  full,  excepting  the  attic  and 
cellar.  "Well,"  said  Mr.  Randolph,  "I  will  take 
the  attic  and  cellar."  Several  of  the  boarders 
standing  near  tendered  their  apartments  ;  but  he 
declined  their  courtesy,  and  •  determined  to  take 
the  attic  and  cellar.  Mrs.  Wilson  explained  that 
the  attic  was  only  accessible  by  ladder  through  a 
scuttle  at  the  top  of  the  wall.  He  said  that  made 
no  difference,  and  forthwith  took  possession  of  it 
for  himself,  and  the  cellar  for  his  attendants,  which 
they  occupied  some  eight  or  ten  days,  as  long  as 
they  remained  in  St.  Petersburg.  During  that 
time  Mr.  Randolph  took  a  great  fancy  to  a  son  of 
Mrs.  Wilson,  a  lad  of  eight  or  ten  years,  and  who 
spoke  fluently  four  languages.  He  offered  to  take 
him  home  to  America,  and  have  him  educated  ;  but 
she  declined  his  offer.  I  told  her  she  was  making 
a  mistake.  "Why,  the  man  is  crazy!  I  wouldn't 
think  of  such  a  thing,"  she  replied. 

Mr.  Randolph  created  quite  a  sensation  when 
presented  to  the  emperor  and  empress.  When 
ushered  into  the  court-room,  he  deliberately  pulled 
off  his  soiled  gloves,  and  replaced  them  with  new, 
then  advanced  before  the  emperor,  and  dropped 
upon  his  knees  ;  and  when  the  emperor  expostu- 
lated, Mr.  Randolph  said,  "An'  please  your  majesty, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        37 

I  know  what  is  etiquette."  The  empress,  a  very 
lovely  woman,  was  seized  with  such  a  violent  fit  of 
laughter,  she  had  to  be  conveyed  away  from  the 
court-room. 

This  was  Mr.  Randolph's  own  version  of  the 
story  of  his  presentation,  as  described  to  Baron 
Stieglitz  and  others  at  Mrs.  Wilson's,  just  after 
his  return  from  the  reception. 

Mrs.  Wilson  had  about  twenty  boarders,  cap- 
tains and  supercargoes  of  American  vessels  prin- 
cipally. These  gentlemen  generally  amused  them- 
selves evenings  playing  cards,  vingt-et-un  being 
the  favorite  game.  I  was  never  inclined  to  play 
much,  and,  when  the  deal  fell  to  my  lot,  would  sell 
out.  Some  of  the  party,  observing  this,  deter- 
mined to  bring  me  out  a  little  ;  and,  when  the  next 
deal  came  to  me,  no  one  would  purchase  or  accept 
it.  The  players  began  to  double  up,  and  lay  much 
heavier  bets,  and  I  began  to  tremble ;  but  I  turned 
a  vingt-et-un,  and  received  a  double  all  round. 
These  followed  in  quick  succession.  -  At  the  end 
of  the  playing,  I  had  acquired  a  large  sum.  I  felt 
uneasy  in  the  possession  of  so  much  money,  gained 
in  such  a  way,  so,  to  ease  my  conscience,  invited 
all  the  players  to  meet  at  a  restaurant  on  the 
Newski  Prospect  the  next  day,  and  I  would  treat 
to  a  champagne  lunch ;  which  was  done,  to  the 


38        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

satisfaction  of  all :  but  we  had  no  more  vingt-et-un 
during  my  stay  in  Russia. 

Mr.  Buchanan  soon  followed  Mr.  Randolph  as 
minister  to  Russia.  He  was  a  frequent  visitor 
at  Mrs.  Wilson's,  and  was  very  social  with  her 
boarders. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        39 


CHAPTER   V. 

I  ENGAGED  passage  per  steamer  "Alexandria" 
for  Lubec,  in  company  with  friends  Sewall 
Tappan  and  William  A.  Hayden,  bound  through 
to  Boston,  and  twenty-nine  others  for  Lubec. 
Among  them  were  Mr.  Baxter,  secretary  of  lega- 
tion to  the  English  embassy ;  and  Mr.  Worms,  a 
German ;  Mr.  Peters,  a  Portuguese ;  a  Russian 
count,  Wittgenstein ;  a  Russian  courier,  a  Persian, 
and  several  ladies  :  and  we  sailed  July  29th,  1832. 

July  ^Qth. —  Passed  the  Russian  fleet,  consisting 
of  eighteen  sail,  making  a  highly  respectable  appear- 
ance. 

Aug.  ist.  —  Arrived  at  Travamunde,  and  took 
passage  in  a  small  steamer,  "Britannia,"  for  Lubec, 
at  which  place  we  arrived  at  n  P.M.,, and  ordered 
a  dinner  for  six.  While  in  course  of  preparation, 
we  strolled  out  for  a  glimpse  of  the  town.  To 
our  horror,  we  encountered  a  wagon  gathering  up 
bodies,  from  houses  where  they  had  died  of  cholera, 
and  piled  together  like  wood.  We  hastened  back 
to  the  hotel,  and  took  our  departure  at  the  earliest 


40        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

possible  moment  after  dinner.  At  1.30  A.M.,  of 
the  2d  of  August,  we  started  from  Lubec  in  a 
coach  for  Hamburg.  After  passing  over  one  of 
the  most  wretched  roads  in  Europe,  we  arrived  at 
Hamburg  at  12  M.,  distance  forty  miles.  After 
dinner  we  rambled  about  the  city,  a  beautiful  place. 
The  promenades  in  particular  are  very  fine.  Took 
lodgings  at  the  Hotel  de  Russie,  one  of  the  best. 

Aug.  $d.  —  Bought  a  watch  of  Dimier.  Went  to 
the  opera  in  the  evening. 

Aug.  ^th.  —  Rode  out  of  the  city  to  a  celebrated 
watering-place  with  Mr.  Worms,  our  companion 
from  St.  Petersburg,  a  pleasant  gentleman,  who 
treated  us  with  the  utmost  politeness.  We  were 
introduced  to  his  wife  and  other  relatives,  with 
whom  we  took  supper,  returning  to  the  city  at 
10  P.M. 

Aug.  6th.  —  Left  Hamburg  with  much  regret, 
and  arrived  at  Bremen  the  next  day.  Took  up  our 
quarters  at  the  Hotel  de  Lindenhofe,  a  very  good 
establishment. 

Aug.  8t/i.  —  This  morning,  with  Mr.  Meier,  of  the 
house  H.  H.  Meier  &  Co.,  went  to  the  cathedral,  in 
the  cellar  of  which  is  a  natural  curiosity,  —  a  cave, 
from  which  issues  a  draught  of  air  that  has  the 
property  of  drying  substances,  and  preventing 
putrefaction.  Here  are  several  human  bodies  in 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        41 

a  state  of  nudity,  which  have  been  preserved,  and 
have  been  lying  there  from  thirty  to  four  hundred 
years,  and  are  in  a  remarkable  state  of  preserva- 
tion. Went  to  the  celebrated  Stadt  wine-cellar  ; 
drank  hock  forty-nine  years  old,  judged  to  be  the 
best  (a  little  tart)  ;  oldest  two  hundred  and  eight 
years.  Visited  the  warehouses  of  Messrs.  Meier 
&  Co.  In  the  afternoon  rode  out  to  a  pavilion  in 
the  country,  about  six  miles,  and  took  dinner  with 
these  gentlemen,  rolled  ninepins,  and  returned  at 
ten  o'clock. 

Aug.  tyh.  —  Went  to  an  auction-sale  of  tobacco, 
where  was  exhibited  a  remarkable  degree  of  com- 
fort, everybody  seated  on  easy-chairs,  smoking 
cigars,  and  feasting  on  bread  and  cheese,  drinking 
wine,  etc.  These  dainties  are  furnished  at  the 
expense  of  the  goods  sold.  At  5  P.M.  left  Bremen 
for  Osnabruck  by  diligence. 

Aug.  \2th. — Arrived  at  Utrecht,  a  beautiful 
town.  Went  to  the  museum,  and  to  the  top  of  the 
celebrated  tower,  or  dome,  three  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  feet  high,  from  which  is  a  very  exten- 
sive view.  Amsterdam  can  be  distinctly  seen,  dis- 
tant twenty-five  miles.  Left  Utrecht,  per  diligence, 
for  Amsterdam  at  4  P.M.  After  three  and  a  half 
hours'  drive,  reached  that  place,  and  took  up  our 
quarters  at  the  Hotel  Grand  Doelen  au  Singel. 


42        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

Went  in  the  evening  to  the  celebrated  Saloon 
Frascati,  and  other  places  of  minor  importance. 

Aug.  i$tk.  —  Visited  the  palace  of  the  royal  fam- 
ily. Quite  magnificent !  Went  to  the  Exchange. 

Aug.  i^th.  —  Went  to  the  museum,  thence  to  the 
large  synagogue,  and  in  the  evening  to  the  Saloon 
Mille  Colonne. 

Aug.  i6th.  —  Left  Amsterdam  for  Haarlem. 
Went  immediately  to  the  principal  church,  built  in 
1372,  containing  the  grand  organ,  the  finest  in  the 
world.  Paid  one  pound  sterling  to  have  it  played 
for  one  hour.  Was  awe-struck  with  the  sublimity 
of  its  music.  Heard  "The  Storm,"  etc.  Went 
to  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  saw  the  first  book 
ever  printed  with  types,  invented  by  Coster. 

Left  Haarlem  for  the  Hague.  Passed  a  few 
hours  at  Leyden.  Saw  the  palace  of  Prince  Fred- 
erick. Reached  the  Hague,  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  Netherland  king,  and  stopped  at  the 
Hotel  Vieux  Doelen.  In  the  evening  heard  the 
opera  "  John  of  Paris,"  in  French,  —  rather  flat. 
Theatre  very  small.  Well  pleased  with  the  city. 

Aug.  \*jth.  —  Left  for  Rotterdam  by  canal-boat 
At  Delft,  a  beautiful  little  town,  took  luncheon. 
Here  is  a  church,  the  tower  of  which  leans  over 
very  much,  and,  from  the  large  crevices  in  the 
walls,  appears  to  be  dangerous.  Continued  the 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        43 

trip  by  canal-boat.  Arrived  at  Rotterdam  at  4 
o'clock  P.M.,  and  took  lodgings  at  the  Hotel  Pays 
Bas,  the  best  in  the  city,  and  were  very  well 
accommodated.  We  immediately  secured  pas- 
sages on  the  English  steamer  "  Attwood,"  for 
London,  four  pounds  sterling  each. 

Aug.  \%th,  1832.  —  Saw  the  bronze  statue  of 
Erasmus,  and  the  House  of  the  Thousand  Terrors, 
and  the  Exchange.  Visited  the  new  Dutch  East 
India  ship,  of  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
American  measurement.  She  was  finished  in 
superb  style.  The  cholera  was  raging  here. 
Noticed  many  hearses  passing. 

Aug.  \tyh.  —  Rose  at  4A.M.  Went  on  board  the 
steamer,  and  left  at  half-past  six,  in  the  midst  of 
a  heavy  shower.  Had  a  view  of  Schiedam  (cele- 
brated for  its  gin-distilleries)  and  many  other 
beautiful  little  towns  on  the  banks  of  the  Maese. 
At  noon  there  came  a  heavy  storm  from  the  west- 
ward. Passengers  all  sick  except  we  three  super- 
cargoes, and  we  were  the  only  ones  to  appear  at 
the  supper-table  out  of  forty  passengers. 

Aug.  2Oth.  —  Morning  more  moderate.  At  noon 
saw  the  land  off  Margate.  Passengers  came  out, 
and  at  dinner  all  were  at  table.  We  were  very 
shabbily  served, — roast  beef,  roast  lamb,  and  roast 
ducks  ;  but  not  half  enough,  and  we  rose  half 


44        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

famished.  Enormous  charges  !  Passed,  in  going 
up  the  Thames,  many  ships,  among  them  the 
"  Boston  "  of  Boston.  A  very  beautiful  river  is  the 
Thames.  Saw  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  and  the  stee- 
ples of  other  churches,  Greenwich  Observatory,  and 
the  Hospital.  Passed  many  old  war-ships.  En- 
joyed a  boat-race,  — the  river  literally  covered  with 
wherries,  —  and,  on  account  of  it,  our  boat  obliged 
to  stop  several  times.  The  prize-wherry  was  a 
beautifully  gilded  little  boat.  Saw  the  Tower  of 
London,  and  finally  landed  at  the  Custom  House 
wharf;  was  charged  a  shilling  for  landing  by  a 
wherryman ;  took  a  coach,  and  drove  up  through 
Fenchurch  Street,  Lombard  Street,  Poultry,  Cheap- 
side,  to  St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  through  Ludgate 
Hill  and  Street,  Fleet  Street,  the  Strand  to 
Adams  Street,  Adelphi,  and  took  lodgings  at  Mrs. 
Wright's.  The  streets  were  brilliantly  illuminated 
with  gas.  The  shop-windows  made  the  greatest 
display  possible,  with  gold  and  brass  ornamenta- 
tions. 

Aug.  2ist. — This  morning  hired  a  servant  at 
seven  shillings  per  day.  Walked  to  the  Custom 
House,  cleared  our  baggage,  and  sent  it  to  our 
quarters.  Visited  Stulz  and  other  tailors,  and 
ordered  clothes ;  then  to  Baring  Brothers  &  Co., 
bankers  ;  and  in  the  evening  to  the  Haymarket 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        45 

Theatre  to  see  the  "  Hunchback "  and  "  Second 
Thought."  House  about  the  same  size  as  the  old 
Boston  Theatre.  The  acting  was  admirable. 
Miss  Phillips,  Mr.  W.  Farren,  and  Mr.  Cooper, 
particularly,  did  themselves  great  credit. 

London,  Aug.  22d. —  Went  to  Westminster  Hall 
and  to  the  House  of  Lords  ;  red  cloth  seats  ;  the 
three  woolsacks  covered  with  red,  as  indeed  was 
every  thing,  the  throne  excepted,  which  was  in 
crimson :  and  to  the  House  of  Commons  ;  quite 
a  small  room,  the  seats,  or  benches,  covered  with 
green  morocco  cushions,  and  much  crowded  to- 
gether ;  fee  five  shillings  to  the  House  of  Lords, 
and  four  shillings  to  the  House  of  Commons. 
Thence  crossed  over  to  Westminster  Abbey,  ex- 
plored the  entire  building,  and  noted  particularly 
Poets'  Corner,  and  the  colossal  statue  of  G.  Can- 
ning near  the  Abbey.  Walked  through  St.  James 
Park,  Green  Park,  and  all  the  adjacent  streets. 
Afternoon  went  to  the  Tower,  passed  the  monu- 
ment by  the  way  of  Billingsgate,  Eastcheap,  and 
saw  where  the  Boar's  Head  Tavern  stood.  At  the 
Tower  inspected  the  jewels  of  the  crown,  the  wild 
animals,  and  every  thing  else  usually  exhibited  to 
strangers.  From  the  Tower,  took  a  boat,  and 
rowed  down  the  river  to  the  tunnel,  which  we 
entered.  Walked  home,  a  distance  of  three  or 


46        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

four  miles.  In  the  evening  visited  the  Royal 
Olympic  Theatre,  or  Opera  House.  Not  good ! 

Aug.  2$d. — Went  to  the  parks,  and  saw  a  mili- 
tary parade.  In  the  evening  to  the  Royal  Amphi- 
theatre (Astley's)  ;  very  magnificent,  brilliantly 
lighted  with  gas,  —  a  novelty.  Saw  some  splen- 
did riding  and  fine  ponies. 

Aug.  24th.  —  Went  to  St.  Paul's  Church,  to  the 
Royal  Exchange,  to  the  Bank  of  England,  and 
the  Post-Office;  and  at  1.30  P.M.  saw  King  William 
the  Fourth  and  Queen  enter  the  city  from  Windsor, 
en  route  to  St.  James'  Palace.  Among  the  attend- 
ant suite,  I  noticed  particularly  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington. William  the  Fourth  appeared  to  me  the 
image  of  James  Carter,  an  iron-merchant  of  Bos- 
ton, who  had  an  office  and  store  on  India  Wharf ; 
and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  strongly  resembled 
Gen.  Lyman  of  Boston.  In  the  evening  visited 
the  celebrated  Vauxhall  Gardens.  Extremely 
pleased.  Saw  a  great  variety  of  amusements,  — 
rope-dancing,  juggling,  singing,  and  fire- works. 

Aug.  2$th.  — Rode  to  the  London  and  St.  Catha- 
rine Docks.  Passed  Drury  Lane  and  Covent  Gar- 
den Theatres  and  British  Museum.  Took  a  coach 
to  the  Zoological  Gardens,  where  was  an  immense 
collection  of  wild  beasts,  birds,  etc.  ;  very  much 
entertained.  Thence  to  the  Colosseum,  containing 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        47 

a  panoramic  view  of  London  as  taken  from  St. 
Paul's  dome.  Most  wonderful ! 

Sunday,  Aug.  26th. — Noticed  that  the  sabbath 
was  observed  quite  as  strictly  as  in  Boston ;  no 
shops  open.  Walked  to  St.  James'  Park,  where 
were  troops  out. 

Aug.  2Jth. —  Took  leave  of  the  Messrs.  Baring, 
packed  our  trunks.  Exceedingly  loath  to  leave 
this  wonderful  city.  Paid  bills ;  though  high,  still 
reasonable  considering  the  general  enormous 
charges  of  living  in  the  city,  particularly  at  the 
West  End.  At  6.30  P.M.  we  left  by  coach  for 
Liverpool.  Rather  gloomy  weather,  slight  rain. 
A  tithe-taker  made  up  the  fourth  inside  passenger. 

Aug.  28t/i. —  At  7.30  o'clock  this  morning,  ar- 
rived at  Birmingham  ;  breakfasted.  Were  almost 
suffocated  with  the  smoke  of  the  innumerable  en- 
gines at  work.  Passed  through  Bilston,  where  the 
cholera  was  making  terrible  ravages.  Every  thing 
closed  there.  Arrived  at  Liverpool  at  7.30  P.M., 
and  put  up  at  the  Waterloo  Hotel.  Learned  that 
the  cholera  was  raging  also  in  Liverpool,  and 
increasing  alarmingly.  Engaged  passages,  at 
thirty  guineas  each,  on  the  ship  "  Britannia " 
(Sketchley,  master)  for  New  York. 

Aug.  2<)th.  —  Went  on  board  ship  "  Lexington," 
and  saw  Capt.  Covell.  In  the  evening  to  the 


48        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

Liverpool  Theatre  ;  saw  "  Masaniello  "  and  "  Guy 
Mannering." 

Aug.  3O/7/.  — This  forenoon  made  a  trip  to  Man- 
chester, thirty-two  miles  distant ;  travelled  at  the 
rate  of  twenty-four  miles  per  hour.  At  Manches- 
ter the  threatening  weather  induced  us  to  return 
to  Liverpool  after  only  one  and  a  half  hour's  stay. 

Sept.  ist. — Went  on  board  the  "Britannia;" 
found  she  was  getting  ready  to  start ;  returned  to 
the  hotel,  packed  up,  paid  our  bills,  and  took 
leave.  The  ship  left  the  dock,  and  took  a  steam- 
tug  at  3  P.M.  ;  the  wind  dead  ahead.  Dined  at 
8  o'clock,  at  10  P.M.  retired. 

After  a  rather  hard  passage,  arrived  Oct.  8th  at 
New  York,  —  thirty-eight  days. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        49 


CHAPTER   VI. 

MY  sixth  voyage  was  per  ship  "  Sachem," 
Capt  A.  H.  Brown,  to  Sumatra  and  back 
to  Leghorn.  My  brother  Silas  went  with  us  as 
clerk.  We  sailed  from  Boston,  Dec.  3ist,  1832. 
Arrived  on  the  coast  of  Sumatra  at  Muckie, 
April  1 9th,  1833,  and  commenced  loading  at 
Qualah  Assehan ;  pepper,  $5.40  on  board.  I 
was  taken  ill,  and  confined  on  board  ship  almost 
the  whole  period  of  loading,  my  brother  attending 
to  the  weighing  and  despatching  of  the  cargo  from 
the  shore ;  finished  loading  at  three  ports,  —  viz., 
Qualah  Rasseahn,  Qualah  Assehan,  and  at  Ana- 
laboo,  —  and  cargo  consisted  of  11,3/9  bags  = 
5,62i^03Q-  piculs  pepper,  costing  $30,690.66. 

We  sailed  from  Sumatra,  June  24th ;  my  brother 
coming  on  board  quite  ill  of  a  fever.  He  died 
July  4th,  1833,  aged  24. 

The  "  Sachem "  arrived  at  Leghorn,  Sunday, 
Oct.  2Oth,  in  a  very  heavy  storm.  Seeing  in  the 
roads  at  anchor  the  brig  "Malay,"  apparently  just 
arrived,  I  hastened  on  shore,  notwithstanding  the 


50        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

storm,  in  our  surf-boat.  When  half  way,  we  met 
the  Government  boat,  which  came  out  to  tell  us  of 
the  risk,  and  to  order  us  back :  but  I  knew  what 
our  boat  could  stand ;  and,  being  acquainted  with 
the  shoal,  I  proceeded,  and  reached  the  lazaretto 
safely.  I  immediately  wrote  a  note  to  Mr.  de 
Yongh,  announcing  our  arrival,  and,  if  the  "  Ma- 
lay's "  cargo  was  unsold,  to  sell  ours  forthwith,  and 
not  to  lose  any  time  about  it. 

My  note  reached  his  hands  while  at  dinner, 
after  dark ;  and,  being  a  very  able  man,  he  in- 
stantly started  forth  to  the  theatre,  where  he  knew 
he  should  meet  the  merchandise  brokers.  He 
met  them,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes,  sold 
our  cargo  at  a  very  profitable  price,  and  announced 
to  me  the  sale  the  next  morning. 

My  home  while  in  Leghorn  was  always  at  Mr. 
de  Yongh's  house,  having  been  invited  there  on 
my  first  voyage ;  and  he  always  insisted  upon  my 
coming  there  whenever  I  was  in  port,  —  a  delight- 
ful home,  where  I  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
many  of  the  notable  people  of  Italy,  he  entertain- 
ing them  at  his  table.  The  society  was  very 
agreeable;  many  families  having  an  evening  at 
home  weekly,  where  friends  dropped  in  for  conver- 
sation, music,  dancing,  and  cards.  As  many  of 
these  receptions  were  held  the  same  evening,  we 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        5  * 

would   visit  at  several  houses,   and  linger  where 
most  agreeable. 

Mr.  John  Grant,  whose  wife  was  a  very  fine 
soprano  singer,  and  who  could  rank  with  such 
artists  as  Malibran  and  Bosio  (the  latter  she 
resembled  in  person,  voice,  and  style),  usually  had 
at  his  receptions  delightful  music,  distinguished 
professionals  often  assisting  Mrs.  Grant ;  and  I, 
being  fond  of  music,  always  enjoyed  them  much. 

On  one  occasion  Mr.  Grant  gave  a  dinner  to 
the  Governor  of  Leghorn,  to  which  I  was  invited. 
There  were  about  sixty  at  the  table.  His  salon 
was  illuminated  by  an  immense  number  of  wax 
candles.  Among  the  guests  was  a  distinguished 
lawyer  and  celebrated  improvisatore,  who  dis- 
coursed in  poetry,  in  beautiful  Italian,  it  was 
said,  complimenting  the  governor,  who  rose  and 
bowed  to  the  orator  several  times.  It  was  a 
brilliant  affair. 

Mr.  Isaac  Grant,  elder  brother  of  John,  gradu- 
ally became  blind.  I  used  to  call  on  him  almost 
daily,  and  take  him  to  walk  about  the  city.  These 
walks  he  very  much  enjoyed.  He  bore  a  remark- 
able resemblance  to  Sir  Walter  Scott.  He  was 
a  very  intelligent  and  agreeable  man. 

One  of  the  pleasant  families  of  Leghorn  with 
whom  I  was  intimate  was  the  Sartori  family. 


52        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

They  had  been  residing  in  Philadelphia,  where 
Mr.  Sartori  represented  the  Roman  States  as 
consul,  and  had  lately  come  back  to  Italy,  with 
four  charming  daughters  and  three  sons.  I  passed 
many  agreeable  hours  with  them,  always  to  be 
remembered.  The  younger  married  Count  Augos- 
tini  of  Tuscany.  Another  married  a  Swiss  gen- 
tleman. An  elder  daughter  married  Mr.  Peter 
Hargous  of  New  York.  One  son  was  a  lieuten- 
ant in  the  United-States  Navy.  A  brother  of  the 
father  of  'this  family  was  formerly  an  eminent 
Roman  banker. 

Leghorn,  Nov.  ^th.  —  I  now  left  the  "  Sachem," 
and  went  on  a  trip  of  pleasure  and  information, 
taking  passage  on  board  steamer  "  Henry  IV." 
for  Naples,  the  worst  boat  with  the  worst  attend- 
ance I  ever  experienced.  The  boat  being  crowded 
with  passengers,  I  could  have  no  allotted  berth  ; 
so  I  walked  the  deck  till  near  midnight,  when  I 
made  an  appeal  to  the  captain  for  a  place  to  sleep. 
He  called  the  steward,  who  said  the  berth  of  the 
man  sent  on  shore  at  Leghorn  was  vacant.  I  in- 
stantly replied,  "  Give  me  that,"  and  followed  the 
steward  to  the  cabin,  and  saw  the  berth.  I  took 
possession  at  once. 

We  touched  at  Civita  Vecchia  to  land  passengers. 

Nov.  6tk.  —  The    morning    cold,  but    pleasant. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        53 

Had  a  magnificent  view  of  Naples  as  we  rounded 
the  Cape  into  the  bay,  —  with  the  Castle  of  St. 
Elmo  crowning  the  summit.  Mount  Vesuvius 
smoked  but  little.  After  some  detention,  landed 
with  baggage  at  the  Office  of  Customs,  where  it 
was  very  thoroughly  overhauled.  Thence  I  took 
a  coach  for  the  Grand  Britannia,  the  first  hotel 
in  Naples.  Agreed  to  pay  fifteen  carlini  per  day 
for  my  room.  I  engaged  a  valet  de  place,  and  ram- 
bled forth  through  the  celebrated  Strada  Toledo. 
Visited  the  Church  of  San  Severo ;  curious  statu- 
ary to  be  seen  there.  Rode  out  to  the  northward 
about  seven  or  eight  miles.  Saw  the  review- 
ground.  Had  a  fine  view  of  Vesuvius  and  the 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  Naples,  Portici,  Regina, 
etc.  I  met,  during  this  ride,  his  Majesty  King 
Ferdinand  II.,  quite  an  ordinary-looking  man,  — 
short  and  fat, — with  a  little  leathern  cap  on  his 
head.  A  stately-looking  fellow  with  him,  also  a 
general  of  the  army.  All  these  personages  were 
extremely  polite.  The  king  doffed  his  cap.  I 
happened  to  be  in  a  fine  new  barouche.  Called 
on  the  American  consul :  he  offered  his  services. 

Naples,  Nov.  *]th.  —  Received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
de  Yongh,  Leghorn,  inquiring  about  Mr.  Willis 
of  Boston,  a  person  who  was  removed  from  the 
steamer  "  Henry  IV.,"  at  Leghorn,  in  a  dying  con- 


54         Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

dition.  He  died  that  same  night  of  small-pox! 
I  experienced  a  little  tremor  when  I  read  this 
letter,  as  I  had  been  given  his  berth. 

Rode  out  to  Portici,  saw  the  palace  (magnifi- 
cent), passed  through  Regina,  Torre  del  Greco, 
Torre  del  Annunciata,  etc.,  and  visited  Hercula- 
neum,  and  the  theatre  underground.  This  city, 
being  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  was  over- 
whelmed by  the  liquid  lava,  which  penetrated  and 
rilled  every  cavity,  and  the  whole  city  became  a 
mass  of  rock.  A  passage  has  been  drilled  down 
into  the  underground  theatre,  and  a  few  narrow 
passages  only  have  been  made  in  the  building  to 
ascertain  its  dimensions.  On  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  which  was  near  the  water  of  the  Bay  of 
Naples,  a  small  street  has  been  cleared,  where  the 
lava  was  mixed  with  ashes ;  but  the  difficulty  of 
the  work,  and  the  great  expense  attending  it,  will 
probably  prevent  any  extensive  researches  being 
made  into  Herculaneum ;  besides,  another  city 
has  been  built  directly  over  it,  and  any  consider- 
able excavations  would  endanger  the  inhabitants 
above.  Herculaneum  can  be  visited,  and  all  its 
uncovered  portions  seen  and  examined  in  half  an 
hour's  time. 

Drove  on  to  Pompeii  and  up  the  Avenue  of 
Tombs,  which  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         55 

height,  and  about  twenty  apart  from  each  other. 
The  pavements  of  the  street  are  large,  irregular- 
shaped  stones,  fitted  together  as  best  could  be 
done ;  and  in  the  middle  are  seen  deep  ruts  worn 
by  the  wheels  of  chariots,  and  still  showing  the 
stains  of  rust  from  the  tires.  These  ruts  are 
about  three  feet  apart,  from  which  we  judge  the 
carriages  to  have  been  of  a  diminutive  size.  The 
avenue  leads  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  immedi- 
ately we  find  ourselves  on  the  highest  ground  of 
Pompeii ;  and  all  beyond  slopes  away  gradually  to 
the  south,  through  streets,  alleys,  courts,  and  lanes, 
—  all  silent  as  the  city  of  the  dead ;  not  a  sound 
heard  but  the  echoing  tramp,  tramp,  as  we  pass 
along.  Even  our  own  voices  startle  us. 

Little  more  than  the  roofs,  doors,  and  windows 
are  wanting  to  make  the  buildings  as  perfect  as 
ever ;  for  it  must  be  remembered,  that  all  the 
wooden  and  other  combustible  materials  were  con- 
sumed by  the  fire.  The  heat  cracked  and  broke 
to  pieces  all  the  marble  edifices,  leaving  only  the 
brick-work  perfect :  but  a  very  large  portion  of 
the  city  is  of  the  last-named  material,  the  marble 
being  chiefly  used  about  the  Forum  ;  and  here  the 
colonnades  of  beautiful  fluted  marble  bespeak  the 
magnificence  of  the  public  buildings,  and  the  high 
state  of  perfection  to  which  art  had  been  carried. 


56        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  occupations  of  the  residents  in  the  different 
houses  are  ascertained  by  the  various  implements 
found  therein.  The  bakers  were  in  the  habit  of 
grinding  their  own  corn,  as  would  appear  from 
each  establishment  being  provided  with  a  mill  for 
that  purpose. 

The  dwellings  are  beautifully  ornamented  with 
fresco-paintings,  some  of  which,  although  finely 
executed,  are  so  vulgar  and  obscene  as  to  require 
a  veil  to  hide  them  from  every  eye  ;  and  they  are 
covered  by  wooden  shutters,  and  kept  under  lock. 
The  Custode,  however,  will  exhibit  them  when 
requested  by  visitors.  Most  of  the  floors  are 
paved  in  mosaic,  and  are  very  beautiful,  represent- 
ing battle-pieces,  and  exquisite  arabesques.  Many 
of  the  houses  have  been  re-roofed,  in  order  to 
preserve  these  paintings  and  mosaics.  Some  of 
the  former,  whenever  it  could  be  done  without 
injury,  were  removed  to  the  Borbonicon  Museum, 
and  set  up  there,  where  are  collected  also  all  the 
movables  found  in  Pompeii.  In  the  Forum,  amid 
broken  pillars  and  elaborately  carved  cornices, 
massive  iron  bars  and  chains  denote  the  prison. 
When  cleared,  there  were  found  several  skeletons 
in  chains.  Beyond  the  Forum  is  an  amphi- 
theatre almost  perfect,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
Colosseum  at  Rome,  and  capable  of  seating  many 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         57 

thousand  people.  Here  the  visitor  usually  selects 
a  lofty  seat,  unpacks  his  refreshment  basket,  and, 
while  partaking,  gazes  upon  the  smoking  Vesu- 
vius, which  towers  far  above  him.  Upon  the 
uncovered  part  of  Pompeii  is  a  luxuriant  vine- 
yard, which  produces  the  delectable  wine  called 
Lachrymae  Christi :  this  wine  is  of  a  quality  so 
delicate  that  it  cannot  bear  transportation,  and 
can  nowhere  be  obtained  in  such  perfection  as 
here.  The  Custodes  always  have  a  supply  for 
travellers  visiting  Pompeii.  The  Temple  of  Isis, 
in  which  were  conducted  many  religious  rites, 
particularly  those  pertaining  to  marriages,  is  in  a 
very  perfect  state.  The  oracle  is  stationed  with 
its  back  to  the  wall.  In  an  adjoining  room  may 
be  seen  the  secret  passage  which  leads  to  the  head 
and  to  the  mouth,  whereby  its  votaries  were  de- 
ceived. The  sculptures  which  were  found  in  this 
temple  give  a  representation  of  the  scenes  enacted 
on  occasions  :  they  have  been  removed  to  the 
Borbonicon  Museum,  and  deposited  in  the  secret 
gallery.  An  inspection  of  the  objects  contained 
in  said  gallery,  would  convince  almost  any  one 
that  the  time  had  arrived  for  an  Ambassador  from 
heaven  to  be  near  the 'earth.  Most  of  the  dwell- 
ings in  Pompeii  are  of  one  story  in  height, 
with  a  yard,  or  court,  in  the  centre.  The  streets 


58        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

at  the  present  time  are  kept  perfectly  clean. 
Notwithstanding  the  antiquity  of  Pompeii,  there 
are  to  be  seen  specimens  of  still  more  ancient 
paintings  set  in  the  walls  of  some  of  the  houses, 
which  doubtless  were  considered  as  antiquities  of 
great  curiosity  eighteen  hundred  years  ago. 

Returned  to  Naples,  and  in  the  evening  visited 
San  Carlo :  the  performances  were  indifferent ; 
"  Sonnambula,"  and  a  ballet,  "  Bianca  di  Massina ;  " 
seventy  to  eighty  musicians  in  the  orchestra.  The 
expense  of  living  in  Naples  is  far  greater  than  in 
any  other  place,  and  the  impositions  of  the  people 
are  incredible  :  beggars  have  no  mercy,  and  will 
follow  a  coach  for  many  miles  unless  something  is 
given  them. 

Nov.  8///.  —  This  morning  started  at  7.30  A.M.  for 
Mount  Vesuvius.  Drove  to  Regina  in  a  coach, 
where  we  left  it,  and  took  saddle-horses,  with  the 
younger  Salvatore  as  guide,  and  was  much  pleased 
with  his  attentions.  Stopped  at  the  Hermitage,  and 
lunched  ;  then  to  the  crater ;  at  the  foot  we  left 
our  horses,  and  continued  our  way  on  foot ;  found 
it  a  difficult  task.  On  arriving  at  the  summit,  one 
is  fully  compensated  for  his  trouble,  for  no 
description  can  picture  the  view  therefrom.  I 
entered  the  crater,  descending  but  a  short  dis- 
tance :  my  guide  informed  me  that  I  could  go 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        59 

quite  to  the  bottom  at  the  present  time,  if  I 
could  endure  the  smell  of  sulphur.  He  urged 
me  to  go,  but  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  returning  : 
it  is  very  steep,  and  the  ashes  very  deep.  I  was 
quite  satisfied  with  the  view  from  the  top.  I 
came  down  the  mountain  in  a  very  short  time. 
Had  some  fish  and  other  things  at  Salvatore's,  and 
rode  to  Naples  :  on  the  way,  stopped  at  a  manu- 
factory of  macaroni,  to  examine  the  process  ;  it  is 
made  by  forcing  the  dough  (which  is  of  ordinary 
wheat,  coarsely  ground)  through  a  copper  mould, 
broken  off  in  proper  lengths,  and  dried.  I  rode  to 
the  hotel,  and,  it  being  stormy,  spent  the  evening 
at  home.' 

Nov.  qtk,  1833.  — This  morning  stormy  weather. 
Visited  the  Museum  Borbonico,  —  or  Studii  Pub- 
licii,  —  wherein  are  collected  all  the  objects  yet 
discovered  in  Pompeii,  Herculaneum,  Stabae,  etc., 
and  an  innumerable  host  of  other  curiosities.  I 
remained  there  six  hours  and  more,  and  passed 
through  all  the  rooms,  —  one  excepted :  the  keeper 
of  this  was  absent. 

I  was  quite  delighted  and  amazed  at  the  won- 
drous exhibition ;  thence  I  rode  to  St.  Elmo ;  went 
into  St.  Martin's  Church,  rich  beyond  description. 
From  this  eminence  had  a  magnificent  view  of 
Naples  almost  directly  under  us.  Returned  to  the 


60        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

hotel,  dined,  and  went  to  bed  at  nine,  —  three 
hours  earlier  than  usual. 

Nov.  loth.  —  This  morning  rather  fair;  drove  to 
Caserta ;  took  a  roundabout  turn,  in  order  to  see 
the  Aqueduct  —  a  huge  piece  of  work. 

At  Caserta,  went  to  the  palace,  built  at  the 
command  of  Charles  III.,  by  Vanvitelli,  and 
deemed,  in  point  of  size  and  architecture,  the  most 
splendid  royal  residence  in  existence ;  certainly  it 
surpasses,  by  far,  any  palace  I  ever  beheld :  and 
the  gardens  adjoining  are  immense.  The  Bos- 
chetta  is  very  delightful :  the  fish-ponds  are  large, 
and  full  of  fish.  Had  a  view  of  the  ancient  town. 
After  dining  at  an  eating-house,  where  they 
charged  two  dollars  for  two  half-dinners  (very 
extortionate  are  these  people),  we  arrived  at  our 
hotel  at  eight  o'clock.  The  roads  are  very  dan- 
gerous to  travel  over  near  Naples,  particularly  in 
the  night.  Horsemen  are  stationed  at  intervals 
along  the  roads  to  protect  travellers.  I  saw  but 
three  or  four.  The  distance  from  Caserta  sixteen 
miles.  Many  robberies  are  committed  on  these 
roads.  In  the  evening  went  to  the  Theatre  del 
Fondo,  —  a  beautiful  one. 

Nov.  nth.  —  This  morning  was  very  pleasant. 
I  strolled  about  town,  visited  many  of  the  princi- 
pal churches ;  noticed  particularly  the  chapel  of 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        6 1 

San  Gennaro  in  the  cathedral.  Saw  all  the  silver 
busts  and  statues.  Went  on  board  the  steam- 
boat, and  engaged  a  passage  for  Leghorn.  Called 
on  Rogers  &  Co.,  bankers,  then  went  to  the 
Botanical  Garden.  Highly  pleased.  Called  on 
the  consul,  then  returned  to  the  hotel ;  had  a 
supper,  and  retired. 

Nov.  I2tk. — This  morning  delightful  weather. 
Started  at  half-past  seven  o'clock  for  Baise.  Saw 
Virgil's  tomb ;  passed  through  the  celebrated 
Grotto  of  Posilippo  (very  extraordinary),  about 
one  mile  long,  and  eighty-nine  feet  high.  It  is 
always  kept  lighted,  as  the  high-road  is  through 
it.  Passed  the  Island  Nisida,  and  arrived  at 
Pozzuoli ;  mounted  donkeys,  visited  the  amphi- 
theatre, also  the  Laberinto  di  Dedalo,  etc.  Took 
a  boat  to  the  Solfatara,  or  part  way,  and  our 
donkeys  carried  us  the  rest  of  the  way.  Saw 
the  making  of  sal-ammoniac,  vitriol,  alum,  sulphur, 
etc.  Visited  the  Grotto  of  the  Sibyls,  Temple  of 
Jupiter  Serapis,  Lucerne  Lake,  Lake  Avernus,  the 
Tartarus  of  Virgil,  a  temple  dedicated  to  Pluto  ; 
Grotto  of  the  Cumaean  Sibyl,  which  led  from 
Virgil's  Tartarus  to  the  Cocytus  Acheron,  River 
Styx,  Elysium  Fields,  etc.  ;  Nero's  villa,  to  visit  the 
vapor-baths  (very  hot ;  ate  an  egg  boiled  in  the 
water  a  few  minutes)  ;  Temple  of  Venus  Genitrix, 


62        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

Temple  of  Mercury  and  Diana  Baiana,  Villa  of 
Lucullus,  Piscina  Misabile.  Had  a  fine  view  of  the 
Cape  Misenum,  Stygian  Lake,  Elysium  Fields,  over 
which  we  walked.  Visited  the  one  hundred  cham- 
bers, —  dismal  prisons  ;  the  Sepolcre  of  Agrippina, 
so-called ;  took  coach  home  to  Naples.  I  have 
seen  so  many  objects  of  deep  interest  to-day,  that 
I  am  quite  confounded.  Observed  that  Vesuvius 
sent  forth  a  vast  deal  of  smoke.  An  eruption  is 
expected.  Hope  it  will  take  place  before  I  leave. 

Dined  at  five  o'clock.  In  the  evening  visited 
the  Theatre  Fenice,  —  much  pleased. 

Nov.  i$tk.  —  Sat  an  hour  and  a  half  to  a  sculptor 
for  my  profile  on  shell.  Went  to  the  Museum 
Borbonico,  and  saw  the  "private  cabinet."  It  was 
very  curious  and  quite  astonishing.  Walked 
through  some  of  the  galleries  of  paintings.  I 
called  on  Signor  Persico,  and  examined  his  statues 
of  War  and  Peace  intended  for  the  Capitol  at 
Washington.  Admired  them  very  much,  as  also 
the  politeness  of  Signor  Persico  himself. 

Paid  my  passage  for  steamer  "  Ferdinand  I.," 
for  Leghorn.  Lunched  at  the  Traittore  di  Milan. 
Walked  about  the  city,  and  visited  Hotel  Crocelle, 
and  returned  home. 

Nov.  i^tJi.  —  Sat  an  hour  and  a  half  to  the  sculp- 
tor. Walked  several  miles  over  the  Strada  Nuova  ; 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        63 

called  on  Rogers  &  Co.,  where  I  dined.  After- 
wards went  to  the  Theatre  San  Carlo,  brilliantly 
illuminated  in  honor  of  the  Queen's  birthday. 
The  performances  were  Rossini's  opera  "  Otello," 
and  a  magnificent  ballet  called  "  Bluebeard."  The 
celebrated  Madam  Malibran  sang  the  part  of  Des- 
demona.  She  sang  and  acted  to  perfection.  The 
royal  family  were  present,  and  all  the  gentry  of 
Naples.  Such  a  brilliant  entertainment,  I  never 
before  attended. 

Nov.  i$th.  —  Stormy.  Called  on  Rogers  &  Co., 
bankers,  and  settled  accounts.  Rode  to  the 
steamboat,  and  embarked  for  Leghorn.  Left  the 
quay  at  12.30  P.M.  I  was  the  only  passenger  of 
the  first  class  on  board.  Dined  at  five  o'clock. 

After  a  month's  sojourn  at  Leghorn,  I  left  per 
steamer  "  Francesco  Primo,"  for  Genoa  and  Mar- 
seilles, Dec.  1 4th,  with  Mr.  Robinson,  M.P.,  a 
very  genial  gentleman,  with  whom  I  had  become 
acquainted  at  Leghorn.  We  stopped  ,a  day  or  two 
at  Genoa,  where  I  left  my  friend.  At  Marseilles 

I  was  requested   by  Mr.  ,   connected  with   a 

mercantile  house  in  Genoa  and  Leghorn,  to  escort 
to  Paris  a  lady  who  had  in  some  way  been  a  com- 
panion of  the  noted  Duchesse  de  Berri  in  her  wan- 
derings and  adventures  in  France.  I  accepted  the 
charge.  At  midnight,  at  the  depot  of  the  malle- 


64        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

poste,  the  gentleman  appeared  with  the  lady  in 
question,  to  whom  I  was  introduced.  I  said  I 
should  be  very  happy  to  escort  her  to  Paris.  We 
started.  I  found  her  very  agreeable,  speaking  the 
English  language  perfectly  ;  but  she  in  no  way 
alluded  to  her  connection  with  the  Duchesse  de 
Berri.  At  the  first  place  necessary  to  produce 
passports,  I  became  aware  that  she  was  without 
one  :  however,  she  managed  it  so  adroitly  she  was 
allowed  to  pass  on.  This  same  thing  happened  at 
each  important  stopping-place,  keeping  me  in  a 
somewhat  nervous  state  until  we  reached  Lyons. 
At  the  hotel  where  we  dined,  she  met  an  acquaint- 
ance, then  took  leave  of  me,  and  joined  him  on 
another  route,  thanking  me  for  my  attention.  I 
was  much  relieved,  and  reached  Paris  without  any 
difficulty.  I  engaged  rooms  at  Meurice's  Hotel, 
where  I  remained  nine  days.  Among  the  various 
places,  I  visited  the  Theatre  Fran^ais,  and  saw  the 
celebrated  Mile.  Mars,  in  the  piece  where  the  two 
princes  are  imprisoned  and  murdered  in  the  Tower. 
I  do  not  recollect  the  name  of  the  play. 

Jan.  1st,  1834.  —  Left  Paris  for  Havre,  and  put 
up  at  Hotel  Grande  Amiraute,  and  engaged  a  pas- 
sage per  ship  "  Havre,"  Capt.  Stoddard,  for  New 
York  ;  paid  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  it : 
arrived  at  New  York,  Feb.  24th. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         65 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE  spring,  summer,  and  autumn  of  1834  I 
spent  in  travelling  over  my  own  country,  visit- 
ing Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Washington,  Niagara 
Falls,  Buffalo,  Montreal,  Quebec,  and  other  parts 
of  Canada. 

In  November  I  arranged  for  my  seventh  voyage, 
per  bark  "  Brighton,"  Capt.  Gorham  P.  Low,  for 
Sumatra  and  Leghorn,  having  in  charge,  also,  ship 
"  Robin  Hood,"  Capt.  Joseph  Nickerson,  Joseph 
Murdoch,  supercargo ;  and  ship  "  New  England," 
Capt.  Woodbury,  Richard  Lovett,  clerk.  The 
"Brighton"  sailed  from  Boston,  Nov.  i6th,  with 
Mr.  John  T.  Morse  as  clerk,  and  Mr.  Robert  Rob- 
erts as  passenger.  A  very  smooth  and  pleasant 
passage. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  February,  1835, 
after  sailing  upon  the  bosom  of  the  mighty  ocean 
for  eighty  days,  and  reaching  the  longitude  of 
about  77°  east,  and  latitude  of  about  38°  south,  we 
descried  the  Island  of  St.  Paul,  and  hailed  it  with 
the  greatest  delight;  for,  after  so  long  a  period 


66        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

with  only  the  blue  water  and  the  blue  sky  to  be 
seen,  sailors  alone  can  tell  how  welcome  is  the 
sight  of  terra  firma  upon  which  to  rest  the  wearied 
eye. 

The  morning  was  beautiful  and  clear,  and  the 
ship  was  wafted  onward  by  a  gentle  breeze  from 
the  westward.  In  New  England,  at  this  season  of 
the  year,  dread  winter  reigns  triumphant ;  cold  and 
chilly  blasts  pierce  into  every  abode ;  and  the  shriv- 
elled populace  may  be  seen  tottering  along  upon 
the  ice,  jetting  forth  a  dense  vapor  at  every  breath. 
Not  so  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere :  there  it  is 
midsummer,  and  the  mild  and  softened  atmos- 
phere envelops  the  form  in  its  sweet  and  ravishing 
embrace.  It  was  in  this  delightful  temperature 
that  the  ship  approached  the  island.  The  day 
was  so  particularly  fine,  that  it  was  determined  to 
land ;  and  immediately  all  was  excitement  on  board, 
and  all  were  eager  to  be  of  the  party.  Fire-arms, 
ammunition,  fishing-tackle,  and  refreshments  were 
got  in  readiness,  and  the  boat  cleared  for  the 
launch.  Meanwhile  the  island,  which  at  first  was 
like  a  deep  blue  cloud  in  the  horizon,  had  become 
a  beautiful  green  lawn,  with  a  high,  round  hill  at 
the  southern  extremity.  As  the  vessel  passed 
round  this  hill  at  a  short  distance,  and  opened  to 
view  the  eastern  shore,  a  large,  sugar-loaf  shaped 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        67 

rock  presented  itself  immediately  at  the  base  of 
the  hill,  like  a  tall  lighthouse.  There  was  also  in 
the  hillside  a  gap,  or  opening,  into  an  immense 
basin  of  water,  the  whole  scene  making  a  very 
imposing  appearance.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  when 
the  ship  was  hove  to,  about  a  fourth  of  a  mile  dis- 
tant from  the  shore. 

The  boat  was  soon  launched,  and  the  passengers 
and  allotted  crew  were  in  their  places.  The  signal 
of  "  All  ready  "  was  given  :  the  hardy  sailors  plied 
their  oars,  and  the  boat  shot  like  an  arrow  towards 
this  mysterious  land.  No  one,  perhaps,  save  him 
who  has  had  the  experience,  can  conceive  the 
pleasure  and  thrilling  sensation  imparted  at  a  time 
like  this,  heightened  in  this  case,  no  doubt,  by 
the  tedium  of  a  long  sea-voyage,  and  the  entire 
absence  of  land  during  the  whole  period  from  the 
visual  organ. 

As  the  boat  drew  near  the  opening,  it  seemed 
like  the  entrance  to  some  mighty  giant's  castle ; 
and  the  huge  column  of  rock,  eighty  to  ninety  feet 
high,  stood,  like  the  giant's  grenadier,  watching  at 
the  portal. 

Passing  this  sentinel  on  the  right,  the  boat 
glided  through  the  narrow  passage  into  a  prodi- 
gious circular  hall,  as  it  seemed,  the  walls  of  which 
rose  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  surface  of 


68        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

the  water  some  seven  hundred  feet;  or  it  might 
have  been  imagined  a  tremendous  caldron,  —  as  it 
was,  —  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  The 
breach  in  the  wall,  which  formed  the  inlet,  was 
effected  by  the  washing  of  the  ocean. 

The  wind,  as  it  swept  over  the  ridge  of  the 
crater,  caused  a  roar  like  rolling  thunder,  swelling 
and  dying  away.  At  times  the  party  was  startled 
by  the  terrific  noise  of  this  natural  organ.  It 
would  break  forth  as  though  a  fierce  ebullition  of 
all  the  elements  was  taking  place  below,  which 
inspired  the  idea  that  a  new  eruption  was  about 
to  take  place.  The  idea  was  strengthened,  too, 
by  the  smoke  and  steam  issuing  from  many  places 
in  the  sides  of  the  crater. 

After  a  while  the  party  began  to  acquire  bold- 
ness, and  to  feel  a  little  at  home.  Some  landed 
to  explore  the  island,  others  remained  in  the  boat 
to  take  fish. 

Upon  stepping  ashore,  the  heat  from  the  stones 
and  gravel  was  very  sensibly  felt  by  the  feet. 
Steam  issued  from  every  crevice  higher  up  be- 
yond the  wash  of  the  sea :  the  soil  was  soft  and 
spongy,  and  covered  with  very  long,  coarse  grass 
and  reeds. 

Not  a  vestige  of  the  island's  having  ever  been 
occupied  could  be  discovered.  A  cod-hook  with  a 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        69 

small  piece  of  line  attached,  was  picked  up  at  the 
water's  edge,  which  was  the  only  sign  of  any 
previous  visitation. 

There  were  no  trees,  shrubs,  nor  bushes  of  any 
sort ;  neither  were  there  any  living  animals  to  be 
seen,  excepting  sea-fowl ;  but  these  made  up  for 
the  lack  of  all  others,  as  they  were  very  numerous, 
and  so  fearless  as  to  come  within  reach  of  one's 
staff. 

The  island  extends  some  two  miles  north  and 
south,  and  less  than  half  this  distance  from  east 
to  west.  From  the  base  of  the  hill  on  the  south, 
to  the  northern  point,  the  land  runs  of  an  even 
height,  and  presents  no  feature  of  particular  inter- 
est :  the  interest  is  wholly  centred  in  that  ex- 
traordinary crater,  which  ages  ago  must  have  sent 
forth  its  burning  lava  in  solitary  grandeur,  unseen, 
unheard,  and  unknown,  but  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  deep. 

The  fishermen  in  the  boat  were  very  success- 
ful, catching  a  quantity  of  bream  and  red  perch, 
large  schools  of  which  flocked  about  the  boat, 
and  were  taken  without  any  difficulty.  From 
the  proximity  of  the  hot  springs  to  the  water's 
edge,  it  could  easily  be  seen  that  the  fish,  while 
dangling  at  the  hook,  could  be  dropped  in  and 
boiled  fit  for  eating ;  but  these  fishermen  were  too 


70        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

intent  upon  laying  in  a  goodly  store  for  the  ship's 
use  to  waste  time  in  trying  the  experiment. 

The  Dutch  navigator  Vlaming  discovered  this 
island  in  1679,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  St.  Paul. 
It  is  situated  in  latitude  38°  42'  south,  and  longi- 
tude 77°  25'  east. 

At  the  time  of  the  discovery,  the  sea  had  not 
entirely  accomplished  its  task  of  opening  a  passage 
into  the  crater :  the  indications  of  subterranean 
fire,  and  the  presence  of  numerous  hot  springs, 
were  the  same  as  now. 

Barrow,  on  his  embassy  to  China  in  1793,  landed 
at  this  island,  and  found  a  passage  sufficiently 
large  for  a  boat  to  row  through.  Subsequent 
explorers,  who  have  been  particular  in  their  obser- 
vations, make  the  circumference  of  the  crater  at 
the  water's  edge  to  be  one  mile  and  three-quarters, 
and,  at  the  top  of  the  ridge,  two  miles  and  a  frac- 
tion over.  The  depth  of  the  water  in  the  centre 
is  a  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The  thermometer, 
on  being  plunged  into  some  of  the  hot  springs, 
ranged  from  190°  to  212°.  Large  fish  of  the  cod 
species  can  be  taken  in  abundance  a  short  distance 
from  the  shore. 

After  about  three  hours  spent  in  this  interesting 
land,  a  signal  at  the  ship,  recalling  the  boat,  was 
made.  Reluctantly  the  scattered  party  assembled 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        71 

to  embark ;  and,  as  the  boat  receded  from  the 
stranger  land,  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  that  natural 
amphitheatre,  which  threw  into  such  utter  insig- 
nificance the  wonder  of  the  world,  that  of  Vespa- 
sian in  Rome. 

Thus  passed  three  brief  hours,  equal  to  as  many 
years  in  the  indelible  impressions  made.-  We  con- 
tinued our  voyage  after  the  pleasurable  relaxation 
of  the  visit  to  the  uninhabited  Island  of  St.  Paul, 
and  arrived  at  Sumatra,  March  3d. 


72        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

AFTER  cruising  on  the  coast  for  about  two 
months  and  a  half,  we  left  Qualah  Assehan, 
Sumatra,  May  i8th,  for  Batavia,  Java,  where  we 
arrived  June  2Oth.  Finding  no  encouragement  at 
Batavia,  we  proceeded  to  Manila,  and  arrived  there 
July  2d,  anchoring  in  the  night  in  the  roads  with 
five  other  vessels.  At  daybreak  a  provision-boat 
came  alongside  the  ship,  pulled  by  a  woman.  I  bar- 
gained with  her  to  take  me  ashore ;  and  I  called 
upon  Peele,  Hubbell,  &  Co.,  distinguished  mer- 
chants of  that  place.  Before  breakfast  I  pur- 
chased a  cargo  of  sugar  of  them  for  the  "Brighton." 
By  night  sugar  largely  advanced  in  price :  in  short, 
another  cargo  could  not  be  obtained.  I  had 
secured  the  only  one  in  the  market  Loaded  at 
Cavita,  and  sailed  Aug.  i$th  for  Leghorn. 

Sept.  2$d,  1835.  —  My  twenty-ninth  birthday. 
We  touched  at  Anjer,  Java,  where  we  procured 
green  turtle  in  any  quantity  at  a  cost  of  a  dollar 
each,  fowls  at  fifty  cents  per  dozen,  pomeloes, 
plantains,  etc.,  at  very  low  prices.  Continued  our 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        73 

voyage,  and  arrived  safely  at  Leghorn,  Jan.  i/th, 
1836. 

Our  cargo  of  sugar  was  sold  at  fair  prices,  and 
the  "  Brighton  "  was  chartered  for  New  York  for 
thirty-seven  hundred  dollars.  Then,  with  a  mer- 
cantile friend,  Mr.  Frederick  Barker,  started  on  a 
trip  to  Venice  and  Trieste,  touching  a  short  time 
at  Florence.  At  Bologna  we  spent  two  days ; 
called  with  Mr.  Barker  on  Mme.  Palavicini,  a  beau- 
tiful woman,  and  a  Genoese,  speaking  English 
perfectly.  We  thoroughly  explored  Bologna :  the 
quaint  streets  with  their  covered  walks,  the  beau- 
tiful cemetery,  and  the  leaning  towers,  all  attracted 
our  particular  attention. 

After  leaving  Bologna,  on  the  way  to  Ferrara, 
while  travelling  at  dusk,  the  road  became  unusu- 
ally rough  ;  and  the  postilion  at  last  confessed 
that  he  had  lost  his  way  in  trying  to  make  a  short 
cut  across  the  country :  and  we  became  ingulfed 
in  mud  up  to  the  hubs  of  the  wheels,  and  the 
horses  could  no  longer  move  the  vehicle.  The 
postilion  then  unharnessed  one  of  the  horses, 
mounted,  and  rode  off  for  assistance,  saying  he 
should  have  to  get  a  yoke  of  cattle  to  extricate  us. 

After  some  hours,  he  not  appearing,  Mr.  Barker 
became  alarmed,  and  we  alighted  to  explore  a 
little ;  but,  finding  the  mud  knee-deep,  we  retreated 


74        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

to  the  carriage  again.  Mr.  Barker  called  out  at 
the  top  of  his  lungs,  "  Ajuto  !  ajuto  !  Buono  gente, 
ajuto  !  "  No  one  responded.  After  another  hour's 
delay,  the  poor  devil  of  a  postilion  re-appeared 
with  a  yoke  of  cattle,  which  he  harnessed  together 
with  the  horses,  and  drew  us  forth,  and  took  us  to 
a  monastery  not  very  far  distant,  where  the  monks 
very  kindly  accommodated  us  over  night,  furnish- 
ing us  with  a  good  supper,  beds,  and  a  fire  to  dry 
our  clothes. 

In  the  morning,  after  partaking  of  coffee,  bread 
and  butter,  we  left,  tendering  compensation  to  the 
gracious  monks.  They  hesitating,  we  left  on  the 
table  what  we  considered  a  good  satisfaction  for 
the  service  rendered,  and  took  up  our  route.  At 
Ferrara,  found  the  city  about  the  most  wretched 
one  in  the  Roman  States,  —  poverty-stricken  ! 

Feb.  nth.  —  Stopped  a  few  days  at  Padua,  which 
is  a  very  beautiful  place,  particularly  the  Grand 
Square.  Reached  Venice,  which  city  we  explored. 
It  being  carnival-time,  we  saw  the  usual  sports  in 
perfection.  Went  to  the  Malibran  Theatre,  Fenice 
Theatre,  Apollo  Theatre,  and  to  the  masquerade 
with  Mr.  Charles  Tappan.  We  arrived  at  mid- 
night, and  left  at  dawn,  having  partaken  of  a 
splendid  supper.  Passed  a  week  very  enjoyably 
at  Venice. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        75 

Took  passage  per  steamer  to  Trieste,  and  quar- 
tered at  the  Grande  Hotel.  Trieste  is  a  very  busy 
and  an  agreeable  city.  Met  Mr.  Moore  of  George 
Moore  &  Co.,  the  United-States  consul,  a  genial 
gentleman.  He  resided  in  a  beautiful  house  on 
the  summit  of  a  hill  in  the  city,  very  difficult  of 
ascent ;  but  the  consul  walked  up  this  hill  several 
times  a  day,  deeming  it  beneficial  for  the  asthma, 
which  afflicted  him.  Mr.  Moore  had  a  beautiful 
niece,  Miss  Ellen  Darden,  who  lived  with  him. 
All  the  young  men  of  Trieste  were  infatuated  with 
her.  They  built  a  boat  of  twelve  oars,  of  great 
magnificence,  and  named  her  "  Dardenelle,"  in  her 
honor.  I  had  the  gratification  of  escorting  her  to 
dinner  one  day,  on  some  occasion  at  Mr.  Moore's 
house,  exciting  the  envy  of  several  young  fellows 
present. 

Here  I  witnessed  the  last  of  the  carnival,  and 
took  leave  of  Mr.  Barker  and  of  Mr.  Moore  and 
other  friends,  and  joined  Mr.  Routh  of  London, 
who  was  on  his  way  home  via  Leghorn.  We  en- 
gaged a  carriage  for  Milan,  taking  post-horses  on 
the  way. 

At  Milan  we  rested  a  while  on  account  of  the 
engagement  of  the  distinguished  artist  Malibran 
at  the  La  Scala,  where  she  was  exciting  immense 
enthusiasm.  I  was  quite  ill,  and  kept  my  bed 


76        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

during  the  day,  but  spent  the  evenings  at  the 
opera,  listening  to  the  Malibran.  These  were  the 
last  of  her  dulcet  notes  ;  as  soon  after  she  died, 
there  in  Milan,  —  1836. 

On  leaving  Milan  for  Genoa,  at  4  P.M.,  a  snow- 
storm set  in.  We  were  in  a  new  carriage,  in- 
trusted to  our  care  to  deliver  to  a  purchaser  in 
Genoa.  Two  horses  were  harnessed  to  the  vehi- 
cle ;  at  the  next  poste  we  added  two  more,  making 
four  :  the  snow  increased  rapidly.  By  nine  o'clock 
we  were  obliged  to  stop,  as  we  could  proceed  no 
farther. 

We  saw,  apparently  at  no  great  distance,  a  light 
from  a  house  ;  and,  as  it  was  impossible  to  move 
the  carriage,  we  unharnessed  the  horses.  Routh 
and  I  mounted  two  of  them,  the  postilion  took 
the  third,  and  our  baggage  was  strapped  on  the 
back  of  the  fourth.  Thus  we  wended  our  way  to- 
ward the  light,  forcing  ourselves  through  the  snow, 
sometimes  reaching  to  our  shoulders.  The  horses 
seemed  to  know  the  condition  of  the  case,  and 
plunged  on  nobly  through  the  drifts.  Our  progress 
was  very  slow. 

At  nine  o'clock  next  day  we  reached  the  house, 
which,  the  evening  before,  seemed  less  than  half  a 
mile  distant.  We  rested  for  a  day  at  this  house, 
taking  up  our  quarters  in  an  adjoining  shed.  The 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        77 

whole  country  turned  out  en  masse  to  clear  the 
roads ;  and  the  next  morning  we  continued  our 
journey  with  our  horses,  as  far  as  Novi,  where  we 
stopped  several  days.  The  snow  filled  the  streets, 
in  some  of  them,  to  the  roofs  of  the  houses.  The 
walks  and  crossings  were  tunnelled  through  the 
snow. 

Some  years  before,  at  Montreal,  Canada,  I 
was  attacked  with  the  cholera,  where  it  was  raging 
violently.  My  friends  took  me  away,  and  carried 
me  in  all  haste  to  Burlington,  Vt.  There  a  phy- 
sician was  called,  who  prescribed  a  recipe  for 
medicine,  which  proved  very  beneficial.  Now 
here  in  Novi,  being  sick,  I  had  a  longing  for  some 
of  that  Vermont  medicine.  I  sent  a  valet  with 
my  tattered  recipe  to  a  drug-store :  after  a  while 
he  returned  with  the  medicine,  done  up  precisely 
the  same  as  that  purchased  in  Burlington,  and  in 
all  respects  it  was  the  same.  This  to  me  was 
marvellous,  considering  the  wide  differences  in 
the  countries.  So  much  for  prescriptions  in  Latin! 
At  the  end  of  five  days  we  took  horses  for  Genoa, 
and  rode  the  whole  distance,  leaving  our  carriage 
buried  in  the  snow. 

This  storm  was  the  worst  for  many  years  in 
that  vicinity.  Many  lives  were  lost,  and  there 
was  great  destruction  of  merchandise  and  vehicles. 


78        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

After  a  couple  of  days  at  Genoa,  we  embarked  per 
steamer  "  Columbo "  for  Leghorn,  and  arrived 
safely,  and  found  all  well. 

Left  Leghorn  per  bark  "Brighton,"  April   ist, 
and  arrived  at  New  York,  May  2Oth,  1836.     » 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        79 


CHAPTER  IX. 

I  REMAINED  in  the  United  States  some  four 
months,  visiting  Saratoga  Springs,  Ballston, 
and  Lebanon  Springs,  New- York  City,  and  other 
places,  until  October,  when  I  made  arrangements 
to  embark  for  London  per  ship  "  Quebec,"  Capt. 
Hebard,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  Spanish  pil- 
lared silver  dollars  for  three  Sumatra  voyages. 

The  "Quebec"  (a  new  ship)  sailed  the  nth 
October,  with  a  full  complement  of  passengers. 
Among  them  may  be  named,  Gen.  Lewis  Cass, 
minister  plenipotentiary  to  France,  wife,  son,  and 
daughters  (two)  ;  Mr.  James  Hamilton,  wife,  son 
(Alexander),  and  two  daughters  ;  Mrs.  David  Sears, 
four  daughters  and  two  sons  (David  and  Freder- 
ick) ;  Mr.  Horatio  Greenough  and  Miss  Green- 
ough ;  Dr.  E.  S.  Gannett;  attaches  of  Gen.  Cass; 
Mr.  Anderson,  secretary ;  Messrs.  Ledyard,  Clarke, 
and  Whitney ;  Thomas  H.  Barker,  consul  at  Ant- 
werp; and  many  others  whose  names  I  do  not 
now  recall. 

Some  of  the  passengers  landed  at  Portsmouth 


8o        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

(I  among  the  number),  for  the  purpose  of  going  on 
to  London  by  coach.  Dr.  Gannett,  having  letters 
to  the  Unitarian  minister  at  Portsmouth,  desired  to 
call  upon  him  that  evening,  and  invited  me  to 
accompany  him.  Upon  being  ushered  into  the 
parlor,  we  announced  ourselves  as  just  arrived 
from  Boston.  The  clergyman  seemed  rather  cold 
and  uninterested,  when  Dr.  Gannett  remarked 
it  was  very  pleasant  to  be  on  shore  again. 
"  What ! "  said  the  clergyman,  "  where  did  you 
say  you  came  from  ?  from  Boston  ? "  —  "  Boston, 
America.  I  am  Dr.  Gannett  of  that  city."  —  "  Do 
I  see  the  Reverend  Ezra  Stiles  Gannett  of  Boston  ? 
I  am  heartily  glad  to  see  you  ! "  he  cried,  and,  seiz- 
ing Dr.  Gannett's  hand,  shook  it  violently,  and, 
rushing  to  the  door,  cried  out,  "  Mary,  come  down ! 
here  is  Dr.  Gannett  from  America.  —  Bridget, bring 
up  a  bottle  of  port"  And  the  wife  came  down, 
and  Bridget  brought  up  the  port,  and  a  little 
daughter  of  about  eight  or  ten  years  was  called 
to  see  Dr.  Gannett.  The  clergyman  apologized 
for  receiving  us  so  coldly,  telling  us  that  he  had 
received  a  letter  that  morning,  notifying  him,  two 
gentlemen  from  Boston  would  call  on  him  in  behalf 
of  the  Unitarian  church  at  that  place.  Already 
burdened  with  demands  of  charity,  and  thinking 
we  were  the  two  gentlemen,  naturally  led  him 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        81 

to  be  rather  cool.  "And  now,  Dr.  Gannett,  you 
must  stay  over  Sunday,  and  preach  for  us."  — 
"  Impossible,"  he  replied.  "  I  have  promised  my 
society  not  to  preach  anywhere.  I  am  an  invalid, 
and  am  travelling  for  my  health."  The  clergyman, 
then  seizing  me  by  the  hand,  said,  "Then,  my 
dear  sir,  certainly  you  will  preach  for  us?"  — 
"  No,"  I  replied  :  "  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  preaching 
is  not  in  my  line." 

After  a  very  pleasant  evening,  during  which 
church  matters  were  discussed,  we  retired.  We 
left  Portsmouth,  and  reached  London,  and  took 
quarters  at  No.  7  Adams  Street,  Adelphi,  Nov. 
roth,  1836.  We,  however,  remained  at  Portsmouth 
long  enough  to  visit  the  great  naval  establishment 
of  England,  which  we  pretty  thoroughly  inspected, 
going  on  board  the  ship  "Victory,"  where  Admiral 
Nelson  fell  (  a  brass  plate  on  the  deck  marks  the 
spot). 

In  London  my  inquiries  about  specie  soon  satis- 
fied me  that  Spanish  pillared  dollars  could  not  be 
gathered  there  in  any  quantity  in  seasonable  time ; 
so  I  gave  up  the  specie  business,  but  concluded  to 
linger  a  while.  I  went  about  much  with  Dr. 
Gannett. 

Dr.  Wainwright  was  in  England  at  this  time, 
commissioned  to  obtain  an  organ  for  Trinity 


82        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

Church  of  Boston.  He  called  one  day  on  Dr. 
Gannett,  and  invited  him  to  a  little  festival  to  take 
place  that  evening,  given  by  the  workmen  who  had 
built  this  organ.  At  the  appointed  hour  Dr. 
Wainwright  called,  and  the  two  clergymen  went 
off  together  where  they  expected  to  be  regaled 
with  choice  old  church-music. 

About  an  hour  after,  Dr.  Gannett  returned  quite 
crestfallen.  He  said  he  had  "  never  been  among 
such  a  set  before.  They  were  sitting  round  a 
table,  drinking,  and  singing  bacchanalian  songs, 
while  a  number  were  already  inebriated.  We 
came  away  as  quickly  as  possible,  heartily  dis- 
gusted." 

Another  time  Dr.  Gannett  wanted  to  see  one  of 
the  English  gin-palaces  he  had  heard  so  much 
about  in  America.  I  took  him  to  one,  and  called 
for  a  glass  of  ale.  "  But  I  want  to  see  one  of  the 
grander  ones,"  he  said.  Going  into  another  a 
short  distance  away,  I  told  him  there  was  nothing 
more  showy  than  these.  There  were  some  half- 
dozen  immense  butts  with  polished  brass  hoops, 
the  woodwork  of  polished  oak,  and  the  trimmings 
about  the  counter  of  polished  brass, — nothing 
more.  He  was  disappointed.  They  did  not  come 
up  to  his  conception  of  a  gin-palace. 

As  I  had  no  occasion  to  remain  longer  in  Lon- 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         83 

don,  I  concluded  to  take  passage  to  Rotterdam,  as 
quite  a  number  of  our  passengers  of  the  "  Quebec  " 
intended  taking  that  route  on  their  way  to  Paris. 
Dr.  Gannett,  at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Boott, 
removed  from  our  house  in  order  to  be  near  him 
(Dr.  Boott)  ;  but  he  visited  us  every  day.  I  men- 
tioned to  him  that  I  should  leave  the  next  morn- 
ing by  the  Rotterdam  steamer  for  Rotterdam. 
"  Then,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  go  also."  I  expostulated 
a  little  with  him,  saying  I  did  not  see  how  he 
could  get  ready  in  time,  —  passport  to  be  obtained, 
berth  to  secure,  and  to  settle  up  with  banker, 
hotel,  etc.  He  went  away,  saying  he  should  gp  if 
possible.  Next  morning  I  embarked  at  4.30  A.M. 
from  the  Tower-landing.  A  few  minutes  after  I 
had  reached  the  steamer,  I  saw  Dr.  Gannett  in  a 
little  wherry  coming  alongside.  I  never  was  more 
surprised,  for  I  did  not  think  it  possible  for  him  to 
accomplish  such  a  task. 

On  arrival  at  Rotterdam,  we  learned  that  we 
could  not  proceed  across  the  lines  into  Belgium 
without  a  special  permit,  which  could  only  be 
obtained  at  Amsterdam.  Dr.  Gannett,  never  hav- 
ing been  in  Amsterdam,  volunteered  to  go  there, 
and  obtain  the  necessary  permit,  which  work  he 
successfully  accomplished,  and,  after  three  days' 
absence,  returned  with  flying  colors. 


84        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

We  then  took  up  our  course  for  Antwerp,  where 
we  examined  the  citadel,  and  saw  the  great  devas- 
tation made  by  the  enemy,  —  shells  of  immense 
size  having  penetrated  many  feet  into  the  chasms, 
of  safety  as  supposed,  but  how  ineffectual  as 
proved. 

While  in  Antwerp,  visited  many  places  I  had 
before  known  well.  We  continued  our  journey  to 
Brussels,  where  we  attended  a  public  concert,  and 
there  saw  King  Leopold  and  two  nephews,  one 
of  them  the  future  prince  consort  of  England. 
Visited  the  field  of  Waterloo  and  the  palace  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange.  Left  for  Paris.  Took  a 
room  at  Meurice's  Hotel,  where  I  remained  about 
a  week.  Met  Dr.  Gannett  often.  One  day  at  the 
table-d'hote,  there  were  present  two  people  of 
great  literary  note ;  viz.,  Thomas  Moore  the  poet, 
and  James  Fenimore  Cooper  the  novelist.  It 
was  pleasant  to  see  them.  I  took  leave  here  of 
Dr.  Gannett,  who  disliked  to  have  me  leave  him 
in  Paris  alone ;  but  he  was  expecting  his  wife.  I 
left  for  Marseilles  via  Lyons.  At  Avignon, 
stopped  for  dinner;  met  at  the  table  two  Boston 
gentlemen,  —  Mr.  Chapman  (a  brother  of  Jonathan 
Chapman,  mayor  of  Boston)  and  Mr.  Tuckerman. 
We  were  together  for  many  weeks. 

At  Marseilles  we  found  Mr.  James    Lodge   of 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         85 

Boston,  then  connected  with  a  mercantile  house  in 
Marseilles.  One  evening  he  accompanied  us  to 
the  theatre,  where  we  saw  the  celebrated  Mile. 
George,  then  eighty-two  years  of  age.  We  were 
introduced  to  her.  She  was  representing  a  girl  of 
eighteen!  and  looked  the  part  Mdlles.  George 
and  Mars  were  favorites  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  in 
the  days  of  his  glory. 

Took  passage  at  Marseilles  for  Leghorn,  to  touch 
at  Genoa.  Arrived  at  Leghorn,  Dec.  3ist,  1836. 
Enjoyed  six  weeks  here,  during  which  time  the 
United-States  frigate  "  Constitution,"  Commodore 
Elliot,  came  into  port  one  morning,  with  Gen.  Cass 
and  family  and  suite  on  board  as  passengers  for 
a  tour  of  the  Mediterranean.  I  met  them  in  the 
street  on  their  way  to  the  palace  of  the  governor 
of  Leghorn,  Marquis  Picoluomini.  After  a  little 
complimentary  conversation,  they  passed  on  to  the 
governor's.  While  here,  the  "  Constitution "  at- 
tracted great  attention,  receiving  much  company. 
After  remaining  in  port  several  days,  she  pro- 
ceeded on  her  trip. 

I  now  embarked  per  steamer  "  Pharamond  "  for 
Rome,  landing  at  Civita  Vecchia  in  company  with 
Mr.  William  Peel  Croughton,  nephew  of  Sir  Rob- 
ert Peel.  We  stopped  a  few. days  at  Baldi's  Hotel, 
then  took  apartments  in  Piazza  de  Spagna.  We 


86        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

made  it  a  business  to  thoroughly  explore  Rome 
and  its  environs.  These  were  the  holidays  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  when  very  imposing  ceremonies 
were  observed. 

The  city  was  never  so  filled  with  strangers. 
Mr.  Croughton's  company  brought  us  invitations 
to  every  great  entertainment,  and  tickets  of  admis- 
sion almost  everywhere.  On  the  grand  display 
of  fireworks  at  the  Castle  St.  Angelo,  Torlonia 
(banker)  invited  us  to  a  festival  at  his  house :  it 
was  on  the  bank  of  the  Tiber,  affording  a  splendid 
view  of  the  castle.  My  fellow-traveller  was  a  re- 
markably particular  young  man,  who  thought  a 
great  deal  of  his  appearance.  We  had  accepted 
the  invitation  to  Torlonia' s,  and  on  the  evening  our 
clothes  were  laid  out  for  the  occasion.  We  had 
been  on  our  usual  afternoon  ride,  and,  returning  a 
little  late,  hurried  at  the  last ;  and,  as  we  hastened 
down-stairs  to  the  coach  awaiting  us,  a  gun  was 
fired,  announcing  the  commencement  of  the  fire- 
works. 

We  speedily  arrived,  and  entered  the  palace,  and 
were  presented  to  the  duchess.  After  wandering 
about,  and  gazing  at  the  fireworks  for  some  time, 
my  friend  and  companion  suddenly  discovered,  that, 
in  his  haste,  he  had  donned  his  flashy  cut-away 
jockey-coat,  instead  of  his  party-coat :  his  conster- 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        87 

nation  overcame  him  completely ;  and  he  made  a 
rush  for  the  door,  throwing  the  Cinderella  parallel 
case  wholly  into  the  shade.  It  was  many  days 
before  he  recovered  from  the  effects  of  this  mis- 
hap. 

When  on  the  occasion  of  the  Pope's  washing 
the  feet  of  the  pilgrims  at  St.  Peter's,  while  troops 
lined  the  nave  of  that  immense  structure,  keeping 
outside  people  not  in  full  dress,  whom  should  I  see 
but  Dr.  Gannett  walking  hastily  between  the  lines 
towards  me  !  After  a  cordial  greeting,  he  informed 
me  that  his  wife  had  arrived,  and  was  then  in  the 
church,  in  the  seats  prepared  for  ladies  on  the 
other  side.  I  accompanied  him  to  her,  and  con- 
gratulated her  on  her  arrival ;  and  we  made  engage- 
ments for  many  little  excursions  together.  After 
the  ceremony  of  washing  the  feet,  the  Pope,  in 
another  apartment,  waits  on  the  table,  which  is 
previously  prepared,  helping  pilgrims  to  soup,  fish, 
and  wine.  On  this  occasion  his  Holiness  was  dis- 
tributing wine,  going  round  to  each  one,  when  he 
came  to  a  pilgrim,  —  a  temperance  man,  no  doubt, 
—  who  clapped  his  hand  over  his  glass,  as  if  to  say, 
"  No,  your  Holiness,  I  don't  drink  spirits."  His 
Holiness  (Gregory  XVI.)  shook  his  sides  with 
suppressed  laughter,  and  the  whole  audience  tit- 
tered audibly.  After  this  his  Holiness  officiated 


88        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

at  grand  mass  in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  where  there 
was  a  great  rush.  Some  seats  on  a  dais  were 
reserved  for  distinguished  personages.  Upon  pre- 
senting our  tickets,  we  were  ushered  to  these  con- 
spicuous seats,  and  found  ourselves  in  a  line  with 
Don  Miguel,  the  Portuguese  pretender,  and  a  grand 
duke  of  Russia.  Here  we  witnessed  the  ceremo- 
nies beyond  the  crowd. 

Saw  Monsignore  Mezzofanti,  a  distinguished 
linguist.  It  was  said  he  could  speak  fluently  fifty 
to  sixty  languages.  He  looked  a  dapper  little  fel- 
low, full  of  life  and  activity  compared  with  many 
other  of  the  lordly  Churchmen.  He  afterwards 
was  made  a  cardinal. 

Among  my  engagements  with  Mrs.  Gannett  was 
one  to  visit  the  Colosseum  by  torchlight  the  fol- 
lowing evening.  Accordingly,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gan- 
nett, myself  and  a  valet  de  place,  started  off  in  a 
carriage  to  the  Colosseum,  where  some  torches 
were  provided ;  and  we  explored  the  old  ruin. 
Dr.  Gannett  was  very  venturesome,  walking  to  the 
brink  of  precipices,  filling  us  with  apprehension 
for  his  safety  ;  but,  happily,  we  finished  the  ex- 
ploration without  accident.  I  will  here  say  that 
Dr.  Gannett  was  the  most  childlike  and  best  man 
I  ever  knew. 

I  met  here  in  Rome,  Commodore  Isaac  Hull,  — 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        89 

the  commodore  whom  I  had  seen  twenty-five 
years  before  marching  up  State  Street  with  his 
gallant  crew  in  such  a  halo  of  glory.  He  invited 
me  to  go  with  him  to  Cranch's  studio,  to  see  his 
bust  Cranch  was  making.  After  this,  we  were 
invited  to  Thorwaldsen's  studio.  We  found  him 
(Thorwaldsen)  an  agreeable  little  white-headed 
old  gentleman  :  colossal  horses,  and  other  works 
of  art,  filled  his  room.  Mr.  Morse  the  artist 
(afterward  inventor  of  the  telegraph)  was  very 
kind  and  attentive  to  us. 

Left  Rome  after  a  fifty  days'  sojourn,  —  Rome, 
the  "  Eternal  City  ! "  —  what  a  wilderness  of  inef- 
fable thought  to  revel  in !  Entering  the  city  by 
the  Porta  del  Popolo,  the  first  view  gives  a  strong 
impulse  to  the  imagination.  Opposite  the  great 
oval  piazza,  stand  the  stately  twin-churches.  Three 
beautiful  streets  radiate  from  here,  passing  on 
either  side  of  the  churches,  and  losing  themselves 
in  the  mass  of  buildings  beyond :  at  the  ends  of 
the  oval  are  sculptured  fountains,  whose  waters 
never  cease  to  flow.  On  the  left  rises  the  Monte 
Pincio,  with  its  beautiful  gardens  and  buildings  ; 
and  on  the  right,  in  the  distance,  towers  the  peer- 
less dome  of  St.  Peter's.  This  view,  for  its  effec- 
tiveness, is  probably  the  finest  Rome  affords.  The 
traveller  hastens  through  the  Corso  to  the  Capitol, 


go        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

and,  from  the  Tarpeian  Rock,  gazes  upon  the 
Forum  below. 

What  a  feast  to  the  classical  scholar  is  a  walk 
through  the  Via  Sacra !  the  Temples  of  Concord, 
Jupiter  Stator,  and  Jupiter  Tonans ;  the  Temple 
of  Peace,  and  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  the  golden 
palace  of  Nero,  and  the  mighty  Colosseum,  all  in 
rums.  Here  are  the  triumphal  arches  of  Septimus 
Severus,  Titus,  and  of  Constantine.  And  here, 
too,  stands  the  Marmatine  Prison,  in  which  the 
apostle  Peter  was  confined,  and  where  the  miracu- 
lous spring  of  water  still  gushes  forth. 

In  another  part  of  the  city,  the  hole  is  pre- 
served where  was  planted  the  cross  of  St.  Peter ; 
and  over  it  stands  a  sacred  edifice,  wherein  was 
baptized  Constantine  the  Great. 

The  steps  of  Pilate's  palace  (transported  from 
Jerusalem)  are  here  held  sacred,  as  having  been 
pressed  by  the  Saviour.  They  are  guarded  by 
soldiers  day  and  night,  and  no  mortal  is  allowed 
to  pass  over  them  except  upon  his  knees. 
Adrian's  Tomb,  now  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo, 
brings  us  to  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  the  Vatican, 
a  world  in  itself ;  a  temple  probably  far  surpassing 
any  ancient,  as  well  as  modern,  work.  One  is 
never  wearied  here. 

These  scenes,  recalling  the  events  of  past  ages, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        91 

all  conspire  to  fill  and  overwhelm  the  mind, — 
Rome,  an  ecclesiastical  government !  the  predomi- 
nating class,  priests,  monks,  and  mendicant  friars. 

Rome,  April  12th,  1837.  —  Left  this  day  for  Civ- 
ita  Vecchia,  with  Mr.  Croughton,  and  engaged  pas- 
sages per  steamer  "  Faramond,"  for  Leghorn.  By 
the  non-arrival  of  the  vessel,  occasioned  by  contin- 
uous storms,  we  were  detained  some  ten  or  twelve 
days  at  Civita  Vecchia.  During  this  interval,  our 
only  amusement  was  the  opera.  The  theatre  was 
connected  with  the  hotel,  and  performances  given 
nightly,  and  well  patronized  by  the  strangers, 
gathered  in  large  numbers,  detained  by  the  storm. 

"  La  Sonnambula,"  the  only  opera  given,  was 
quite  charming.  At  length  a  change  came :  fair 
weather  set  in,  steamers  arrived  ;  and  we  departed 
for  Leghorn,  and  arrived  there  safely. 

Left  Leghorn,  June  6th,  on  my  way  to  America,, 
per  "  Columbo."  Landed  at  Genoa,  spent  two  days 
there  ;  thence  proceeded  to  Turin  and  Geneva  to 
Paris.  The  evening  of  my  arrival  visited  the 
Academy  Royal,  and  there  met  a  gentleman  — 
one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  house  of  Moore  &  Co. 
of  Trieste  —  who  informed  me  of  the  failure  of 
Bell  &  Grant,  George  Wildes  &  Co.,  and  others  of 
London,  and  of  the  embarrassment  of  our  Leg- 
horn friends,  and  of  much  trouble  in  the  finan- 


92        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

cial  world  generally.  Upon  learning  this  startling 
news,  I  determined  to  proceed  to  London  the  same 
evening. 

Left  Paris  at  10  P.M.;  reached  London  via 
Calais  and  Dover ;  called  on  Bell  &  Grant,  con- 
doled with  them  on  the  state  of  the  financial 
world  ;  rushed  on  to  Portsmouth  to  waylay  the 
London  packet  for  New  York,  but  only  to  see  the 
ship  in  the  distance  under  full  sail ;  then  without 
delay,  I  returned  to  London  and  to  Liverpool, 
and  there  engaged  passage  per  ship  "Roscoe," 
Capt.  Delano,  for  New  York.  The  ship  was 
crowded  with  passengers,  —  a  large  number  apply- 
ing who  could  not  be  accommodated.  At  this 
time  a  great  many  people  found  themselves  short 
of  funds,  and  were  unable  to  move,  suffering 
much  distress  and  delay.  We  left  Liverpool, 
June  25th,  and  arrived  at  New  York,  July  25th, 
1837. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.         93 


CHAPTER   X. 

T^HE  ship  "  Alciope"  had  been  chartered  on  our 
*  account  for  Sumatra  early  in  the  year,  and 
Capt.  Francis  A.  Thompson  engaged  as  com- 
mander and  supercargo,  with  Mr.  George  E. 
Channing  as  clerk. 

I  will  mention  here  that  Capt.  Thompson  was  a 
graduate  of  West  Point,  but,  having  little  desire 
for  a  military  life,  petitioned  for  a  commission  in 
the  navy,  which  was  granted. 

In  the  mean  while  he  shipped  as  a  sailor  before 
the  mast,  on  board  the  ship  "Parthian,"  for  a 
three  years'  voyage  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and 
the  north-west  coast  of  America,  arriving  home 
at  Boston  as  second  mate  of  the1  ship.  He  em- 
barked as  chief  mate  of  the  "  Candace,"  in  which 
vessel  I  made  the  two  voyages  to  Sumatra  (after 
the  piratical  robbery),  and  on  his  return  to  Boston 
was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  new  brig 
"Pilgrim,"  bound  to  California  for  hides.  At 
California  he  was  transferred  to  ship  "  Alert,"  and 
brought  her  home  to  Boston. 


94       Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

Richard  H.  Dana,  in  his  story  of  "Two  Years 
Before  the  Mast,"  gives  a  glowing  account  of  this 
homeward  voyage  of  the  "  Alert,"  scorchingly 
criticising  Capt.  Thompson  ;  yet  he  was  a  man  of 
steel,  and  as  smart  as  any  man  I  ever  sailed  with. 

Now,  as  master  and  supercargo  of  ship  "  Alci- 
ope,"  Thompson  duly  arrived  at  Sumatra,  and,  in 
course  of  trade,  obtained  about  one-third  of  a 
cargo  of  pepper,  when  some  trouble  arose  between 
the  captain  and  the  natives.  The  latter  seized 
him,  demanding  ransom-money  for  his  release. 
After  a  day  or  two  he  (the  captain)  gave  the  jure- 
tulis  a  paper,  saying  it  was  an  order  for  the 
money,  directing  him  to  take  it  on  board  the  ship 
to  the  mate.  But  this  order  was  to  tie  the  jure- 
tulis  to  the  capstan,  and  lash  him  with  a  rope's 
end,  to  within  an  inch  of  his  life  ;  which  order  the 
mate  carried  out  to  the  letter.  After  this  there 
was  very  little  hope  for  the  captain.  They  placed 
him  in  a  pen,  as  they  would  secure  a  tiger  ;  but  in 
the  night  (whether  by  outside  assistance  or  not,  I 
cannot  say),  he  managed  to  extricate  himself  from 
his  cage,  and  ran  down  the  coast  some  ten  miles, 
where  he  succeeded  in  getting  on  board  a  French 
vessel,  the  master  of  which  put  him  on  his  own 
ship  ("Alciope").  Immediately  Thompson  set 
sail,  and  weighed  anchor,  running  as  close  to  the 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        95 

shore  as  he  dared,  and  firing  into  the  bazaar  until 
his  stock  of  ammunition  was  exhausted  :  then  he 
sailed  for  the  Straits  of  Malacca.  Off  the  port  of 
Puloo  Penang,  Capt.  Thompson  and  Mr.  George 
E.  Channing  both  died  of  fever,  contracted  at 
Sumatra ;  and  the  business  of  the  voyage  de- 
volved upon  Mr.  Conner,  previously  mate  of  the 
ship. 

Her  cargo  was  completed  with  pepper  at  Puloo 
Penang ;  and  she  proceeded  on  her  way,  and  safely 
arrived  at  Leghorn. 

After  six  months'  sojourn  in  the  United  States, 
I  embarked  Feb.  I3th,  1838,  per  ship  "  Sterling," 
Capt.  Neef,  for  Havana,  Cuba,  with  Mr.  Amos 
Atkinson  and  son  (William  P.),  and  Mr.  Benjamin 
E.  Morse,  passengers,  and  arrived  at  Havana,  Feb. 
28th.  For  a  little  speculation,  before  leaving  Bos- 
ton, I  had  chartered  a  vessel,  the  "  Canton  Packet," 
for  Cuba  and  the  north  of  Europe,  at  ,£3  IQS.  per 
ton,  and,  on  her  arrival  at  Havana,  re-chartered  her 
for  St.  Petersburg,  at  £$  IQS.  per  ton.  I  re- 
mained in  Cuba  two  months,  visited  Matanzas, 
Cardinas,  and  several  plantations  in  the  interior  of 
Cuba.  At  the  sugar-plantations  of  Mr.  Taylor,  one 
night  I  wandered  out,  strolling  about  ten  rods 
from  the  house,  and  returned. 

The  next  morning  at  breakfast  I  mentioned  my 


96         Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

walk,  when  all  were  horrified  to  think  of  the  dan- 
ger I  had  incurred  of  being  torn  by  the  blood- 
hounds, which  were  loosened  after  a  certain  hour, 
to  guard  and  protect  the  place.  I  was  ignorant  of 
this.  The  hounds  must  have  been  prowling  at 
some  extremity  of  the  grounds,  not  to  have  ob- 
served me.  My  escape  was  wonderful.  I  have 
since  often  thought  of  it. 

On  the  passage  from  Matanzas  to  Havana,  per 
steamer  "  Almendares,"  Capt.  De  Soto,  in  con- 
versation, told  me  that  he  had  been  condemned, 
and  sentenced  to  be  executed,  at  Boston,  for  piracy 
in  robbing  the  brig  "  Mexico  "  while  on  a  voyage 
to  Sumatra.  Several  others  were  condemned  with 
him.  Eventually,  he  (De  Soto),  by  reason  of  some 
extenuating  circumstance,  was  pardoned  by  Presi- 
dent Jackson.  He  then  drew  from  his  bosom  a 
miniature  of  Jackson,  and  said  he  looked  upon  him 
now  as  his  father.  And  he  always  called  him  father. 

The  yellow-fever  was  prevalent  in  Cuba.  When 
I  left,  I  had  an  incipient  attack ;  and  it  strengthened 
on  the  passage  per  "  Cristoval  Colon,"  in  which 
ship  I  had  embarked  for  New  York,  where  I 
arrived  May  8th.  I  was  confined  to  the  house  at 
Boston  for  several  weeks  before  wholly  recovering 
from  it. 

Remained  at  home  during  the  summer  months, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        97 

and  arranged  a  voyage  per  ship  "  New  England," 
Capt.  Isaiah  Woodbury,  for  Sumatra,  for  pepper 
to  Genoa,  with  Messrs.  Morro,  Alberti,  &  Co. ;  and 
she  sailed  Nov.  ;th,  1838. 

My  brother  Franklin  started  on  his  second  voy- 
age to  India  per  bark  "  Brighton  "  (his  first  having 
been  as  clerk  to  Mr.  B.  E.  Morse,  per  ship  "  Eben 
Preble,"  to  Calcutta  and  back). 

After  remaining  at  home  for  about  fifteen 
months,  I  embarked  Aug.  ist,  1839,  Per  steamship 
"  Great  Western,"  for  Bristol,  England.  There 
were  many  passengers,  —  among  them,  Mr.  Nulte, 
a  cotton-speculator  of  great  fame;  Mr.  Amos  Atkin- 
son, Prince  Murat,  and  many  people  of  note,  whose 
names  I  cannot  now  remember.  The  fare  and 
comforts  of  this  passage  were  sumptuous.  The 
"  British  Queen,"  a  rival  steamer,  sailed  the  same 
day.  I  had  engaged  a  berth  on  this  vessel,  and 
exchanged  it  for  one  on  the  "Great  Western," 
in  order  to  accompany  my  friend1  Mr.  Atkinson. 
We  arrived  in  twelve  days  and  a  few  hours,  and 
it  was  reported  the  shortest  passage  ever  made  at 
that  time.  After  a  few  days'  travel  from  Bristol 
through  Bath  and  other  places  of  interest,  with 
some  New- York  friends,  fellow-passengers,  we 
reached  London  the  i8th  of  August,  1839,  and 
took  quarters  at  Morley's  Hotel,  Trafalgar  Square. 


98        Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

On  our  way  passed  through  Windsor,  and  saw  the 
young  queen,  Victoria,  in  her  carriage. 

After  a  few  days'  stay  in  London,  left  for  Rotter- 
dam, where  I  stopped  three  days.  On  the  even- 
ing of  the  last,  I  attended  the  wedding  of  a  couple, 
connections  of  friends.  It  was  a  very  brilliant 
affair.  Took  passage  on  a  steamer  up  the  Rhine, 
where  I  met  the  newly  married  couple,  starting  on 
their  wedding-tour.  I  found  them  very  compan- 
ionable. We  spent  a  day  at  Cologne,  and  passed 
on  to  Coblenz,  Frankfurt,  and  Strasburg.  Here 
we  left  the  boat,  and  took  coach  to  Zurich.  At 
Zurich  an  outbreak  occurred  between  the  people 
and  the  Government ;  and  all  the  night  previous, 
men  tramped  through  the  streets  in  military  style, 
armed  with  staffs,  stakes,  etc.,  and  in  regiments. 

At  9  or  10  A.M.  they  formed  a  semicircle  around 
the  artillery  barracks,  when  firing  commenced. 
Then  such  a  rush  took  place  as  can  scarcely  be 
imagined.  I  was  carried  nearly  the  whole  length 
of  a  street  before  obtaining  shelter.  All  gates 
and  doors  were  speedily  barred.  Finally  I  got 
into  a  yard,  where  I  remained,  with  others,  until 
about  2  P.M.,  when  I  ventured  forth,  and  reached 
the  hotel  in  safety.  The  hotel  was  on  a  piazza,  or 
square.  I  do  not  recollect  the  name.  Several 
people  were  shot  down  ;  and  there  were  many  pools 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.        99 

of  blood,  into  which  the  mutineers  dipped  their 
weapons.  The  bodies  of  the  slain  were  taken  into 
the  neighboring  churches.  The  burgomaster  and 
his  officers  fled  away  to  Lucerne. 

At  Zurich  I  was  likely  to  be  detained  on  account 
of  my  passport  lacking  the  Austrian  seal  and  sig- 
nature. After  much  annoyance  I  found  an  old 
passport  with  an  Austrian  seal,  the  which  I  ap- 
pended to  my  present  one.  Upon  seeing  the  seal, 
I  was  allowed  to  pass. 

At  Lucerne  we  met  at  the  hotel  the  officials  of 
Zurich,  and  dined  with  them  at  the  table-d* hote. 

From  Lucerne  we  made  the  very  interesting  trip 
by  steamer  down  the  lake  to  Fluellen,  to  Altorf 
and  Andermatt,  and  over  the  St.  Gothard  to  Maga- 
dino,  and  down  Lago  Maggiore  to  Milan,  where 
we  arrived  Sept.  22nd. 

The  ship  "  New  England "  arrived  at  Genoa, 
Oct.  3 1st,  1839,  which  vessel  I  came  out  to  super- 
intend and  to  despatch.  She  having  sailed  for 
Palermo  for  fruit  for  Boston,  I,  after  two  visits  to 
Leghorn,  and  one  to  Florence,  took  my  departure 
for  home  via  Marseilles,  Lyons,  Paris,  London, 
and  Portsmouth.  Here  I  embarked  per  ship 
"  Samson "  for  New  York,  and  sailed  Jan.  5th, 
1840.  After  a  terrible  passage  of  fifty-two  days, 
arrived,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  Boston. 


ioo      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER   XL 

DURING  the  year  1840,  after  despatching  my 
brother  Franklin  to  Cuba  and  St.  Petersburg, 
per  ship  "  Barnstable,"  my  attention  was  absorbed 
in  my  engagement  and  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
S.  Towne,  daughter  of  Capt.  Solomon  Towne,  for- 
merly of  ship  "  Galatea,"  in  the  East-India  trade. 
The  marriage  occurred  Aug.  nth;  and  we  began 
housekeeping  at  Walnut  Street,  No.  4,  Boston. 
We  started  on  a  trip,  by  the  steamship  "  Colum- 
bia," Capt.  Judkins,  for  Liverpool,  July  ist,  1841, 
—  myself  and  wife,  and  fellow-passengers,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Bourne,  four  children,  Miss  Luke,  gov- 
erness, and  Murry,  a  colored  servant-man.  We 
duly  arrived,  and  proceeded  the  following  day  to 
London,  where  we  put  up  at  the  Brunswick  House, 
Hanover  Square.  At  this  time  John  Tyler  was 
President  of  the  United  States,  Daniel  Webster 
secretary  of  state,  and  Mr.  Stevenson  was  min- 
ister to  England.  I  was  bearer  of  despatches  from 
Mr.  Webster  to  our  minister.  I  hastened  to  de- 
liver the  package  of  despatches  I  had  in  charge, 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       101 

and  called  at  an  early  hour  on  Mr.  Stevenson.  I 
found  him  at  his  office  and  alone.  I  had  a  very 
pleasant  confab  with  him,  —  told  him  that  my  wife 
and  self  were  on  our  wedding-tour.  He  invited 
us  to  attend  the  Queen's  drawing-room,  to  be  held 
in  course  of  a  fortnight.  I  told  him  it  would  be 
impossible,  as  we  should  then  be  in  Paris.  "  But," 
replied  he,  "you  must  come  on  from  Paris."  I 
repeated,  "  No,  it  will  be  impossible ; "  to  which 
he  said,  "  Many  would  gladly  come  from  Paris  for 
such  an  opportunity."  I  thanked  him  very  heartily 
for  his  kindness.  He  seemed  surprised  that  I 
should  let  the  chance  slip. 

For  a  fortnight  to  three  weeks  we  were  engaged 
sight-seeing,  for  this  was  the  first  visit  to  London 
of  the  whole  party  excepting  myself.  Every  thing 
of  note  was  pretty  thoroughly  explored. 

England  is  termed  a  nation  of  shopkeepers ;  and 
of  course  London  is  filled  with  this  class,  all  as 
busy  as  bees,  intent  upon  their  gains. 

London  is  of  deeper  interest  to  an  American 
than  any  other  foreign  city,  for  it  was  the  home 
of  his  ancestors ;  and  the  very  names  of  its  streets 
and  noted  places  are  as  familiar  to  him  as  house- 
hold words. 

This  interminable  city  is  of  such  extent  that  the 
stranger  may  visit  new  streets  each  day  for  years 


IO2      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

without  seeing  the  whole  of  it.  The  curiosity  of 
the  traveller  seldom  carries  him  beyond  the  follow- 
lowing  circuit :  from  the  Houses  of  Parliament, 
through  Charing  Cross  and  Trafalgar  Square, 
down  the  Strand,  through  Temple  Bar,  up  Ludgate 
Hill  to  St.  Paul's  Church,  through  Cheapside  to 
the  Tower,  thence  to  the  Bank  of  England  and 
vicinity,  Newgate  Street  to  High,  Holborn,  Ox- 
ford, and  Regent  Streets,  Piccadilly,  Haymarket, 
Pall  Mall,  and  St.  James'  Streets,  Regent's,  Hyde, 
Green,  and  St.  James'  Parks,  back  to  the  starting- 
point  at  Westminster  Abbey ;  and  all  this  is  but 
a  very  small  portion  of  London. 

Westminster  Abbey  is  the  object  of  the  greatest 
interest.  Here  one  gleans  a  complete  history  of 
England  from  the  monuments  which  line  the  walls. 
Immediately  at  the  entrance,  on  the  left  arm  of 
the  cross  called  "  Poets'  Corner,"  are  buried  the 
distinguished  writers  of  England.  Conspicuous 
among  the  monuments  are  those  of  Shakspeare, 
Garrick,  Gay,  and  Ben  Jon  son.  In  the  nave  rest 
the  naval  and  military  heroes.  Among  these  mon- 
uments is  that  of  Major  Andre,  a  name  familiar  to 
Americans.  At  the  right  arm  of  the  cross  are  the 
tombs  of  other  distinguished  men.  A  conspicu- 
ous monument  here  is  that  of  William  Pitt,  Earl 
Chatham. 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       103 

At  the  head  of  the  nave,  in  Henry  VII. 's  chapel, 
are  the  tombs  of  the  royal  family. 

London  enlists  the  affections  of  an  American 
from  the  associations  of  the  past ;  and  were  he  to 
visit  but  one  city  abroad,  this  would  be  his  choice. 

From  London  we  (a  party  of  ten)  went  to  South- 
ampton, where  we  embarked  for  Havre  per  packet- 
steamer.  Soon  after  leaving  the  port,  a  storm 
arose,  and  such  a  time  as  was  experienced  by  the 
passengers !  furniture,  chandeliers,  all  adrift  and 
smashed  to  pieces,  to  the  imminent  danger  of 
those  who  lay  about  the  floor,  mingled  together 
with  the  broken  glass  ;  but  at  midnight  we  safely 
arrived,  and  the  steamer  secured  a  berth  at  the 
quay.  One  of  the  crew,  entangled  in  the  rigging, 
fell  overboard ;  instantly  some  half-dozen  men 
plunged  into  the  water,  creating  a  commotion  that 
was  very  startling  for  a  while ;  the  man  was  saved, 
as  were  also  the  half-dozen  others. 

We  landed  at  midnight,  and  wandered  through 
the  town  to  find  the  Hotel  de  1' Europe :  it  being 
full,  we  set  forth  again,  and  finally  brought  up  at 
the  L'Amiraute,  where  we  were  accommodated  to 
our  satisfaction.  The  next  day  we  left  for  Paris 
by  poste,  in  two  carriages,  and  arrived  safely  at 
Meurice's  Hotel,  where  we  took  apartments,  and 
commenced  at  once  a  thorough  exploration  of  the 


IO4      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

city ;  this  lasted  for  a  fortnight ;  during  this  time 
we  had  frequent  opportunities  of  seeing  his  Ma- 
jesty Louis  Philippe,  King  of  the  French,  and  his 
family.  My  wife  and  I  now  took  leave  reluctantly. 

Paris  is  indeed  a  beautiful  city.  One  picture, 
and  the  finest,  may  be  seen  from  the  centre  of 
Place  de  la  Concorde.  In  front  is  the  Palace  of  the 
Tuileries  ;  on  the  right,  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  ; 
at  the  left  stands  the  Madelaine  ;  and  in  the  rear, 
through  a  long  vista  of  trees,  at  the  Barriere 
d'Etoile,  one  sees  the  Triumphal  Arch  of  Napo- 
leon. These  buildings  are  all  at  great  distances 
apart ;  the  intermediate  spaces  being  filled  by  the 
Garden  of  the  Tuileries,  Champs  Elysees,  fountains, 
statues,  and  rare  shrubs  and  trees,  —  a  view  not 
surpassed  in  Europe. 

The  heart  of  Paris  is  encircled  by  a  broad  belt 
of  streets  called  boulevards,  where  are  the  theatres, 
opera-houses,  caf/s,  restaurants,  and  every  place 
of  public  resort  and  amusement  that  can  be  de- 
sired, no  one  of  which  ever  lacks  patrons.  One 
extreme  is  generally  followed  by  another ;  and  we 
will  turn  into  the  Place  de  Greve,  which  has  been 
washed  in  blood  over  and  over  again,  and  where 
Robespierre  himself  expiated  his  crimes  by  the 
guillotine.  We  have  only  to  think  of  the  deeds 
perpetrated  in  this  Place  de  Greve,  the  sanguinary 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       105 

revolutions,  and  the  massacre  of  the  Huguenots, 
to  satisfy  ourselves,  that,  although  the  French 
people  are  the  gayest  in  the  world,  they  have  also 
another  side. 

We  engaged  passage  for  Marseilles  per  dili- 
gence, travelling  through  Lyons,  Avignon,  to 
Marseilles,  thence  per  steamer  "Charlemagne" 
to  Genoa.  We  were  nine  days  on  the  way,  and 
reached  there  Aug.  I5th,  and  put  up  at  Hotel 
di  Londra.  Afterwards  we  took  apartments  in 
Strada  Nuova  in  Palazzo  Brignole. 

Oct.  $>th,  1841.  — A  son  was  born  to  us  this  day. 
I  commenced  writing  a  book,  "  Paul  Aermont's 
Adventures."  Wrote  with  vigor  the  first  few 
weeks,  then  slackened  up  a  little,  as  other  duties 
demanded  my  attention. 

At  this  time,  there  was  much  military  drilling 
going  on  ;  and  troops  were  continually  marching  by 
our  house,  through  Strada  Nuova,  to  and  from  the 
camp-ground  ;  and  almost  daily  we  saw  the  King 
Carlo  Alberti  and  his  son,  Victor  Emmanuel, — his 
renowned  successor,  —  accompanying  the  troops. 

We  went  to  a  ball  at  the  Casino,  managed  by 
Prince  Doria.  The  Marchioness  Balbi,  the  most 
noted  belle  of  Genoa,  was  present :  she  was  a 
Pallavicini,  and  indeed  beautiful.  This  was  the 
first  of  two  given  during  the  Carnival,  and  was 


106      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

attended  by  Prussians,  Spaniards,  Danes,  Portu- 
guese, and  English.  We  were  the  only  Americans. 
There  were  five  contra-dances,  and  five  waltzes, 
alternating ;  and  between  each,  refreshments  were 
served.  No  one  waits  for  introductions  at  any  of 
these  balls.  On  the  evening  of  the  i/th  January, 
1842,  a  ball  was  given  at  the  Doge's  Palace  by  the 
governor.  This  was  a  very  splendid  affair.  All 
the  nobility,  naval  and  military  officers,  were  pres- 
ent, together  with  the  elite  of  Genoa.  We  were 
presented  to  the  governor,  and  Mrs.  Field  felt 
highly  flattered  at  some  special  attentions  paid 
her  by  him.  The  apartments  of  this  palace  are 
very  richly  furnished,  and  the  salon  large  and 
magnificent. 

Feb.  2d.  —  Attended  a  ball  at  the  Cambiaso  Pal- 
ace, given  by  the  Casino  Club  for  the  benefit  of 
the  infant-schools.  It  was  a  beautiful  palace  ;  the 
suite  of  apartments  magnificent.  The  ceilings 
are  painted  in  fresco  exquisitely,  said  to  be  the 
finest  in  Genoa.  We  went  about  10  P.M.,  and 
left  between  2  and  3  A.M.,  some  of  the  company, 
remaining  until  after  7  A.M.  This  is  the  season 
of  carnival. 

Feb.  7th.  —  Went  this  evening  to  a  masked  ball 
at  the  theatre.  The  seats  of  the  parquet  were  all 
removed,  and  the  stage  covered,  making  a  very 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       107 

large  and  splendid  room.  Mr.  Ropes,  an  Ameri- 
can from  Salem,  accompanied  us.  We  went  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  came  home  at  two ;  were  much 
entertained. 

Feb.  %th.  —  This  the  last  day  of  carnival ;  went 
to  the  theatre  ;  a  very  full  house.  The  prime 
donne  were  applauded  very  much,  and  were  obliged 
to  sing  their  best  pieces  twice  ;  it  being  the  last 
evening  of  the  season,  the  only  time  when  it  is 
permitted  to  repeat. 

Feb.  gtk. — Visited  the  gallery  of  paintings  in 
the  palace  in  which  we  live  (Brignole).  This  is  a 
choice  collection  painted  by  the  most  celebrated 
masters.  The  state  rooms  in  this  palace  are  fine, 
all  hung  with  valuable  pictures ;  ceilings  with 
fresco-paintings ;  statuary,  etc.  But  these  magnifi- 
cent rooms  are  tenantless,  the  owner  and  his  family 
residing  in  Paris,  as  he  is  the  Sardinian  minister ; 
and  every  thing  looks  gloomy  and  deserted.  This 
is  the  case  with  most  of  these  Genoese  palaces : 
the  family  live  in  some  of  the  smaller  apartments, 
while  the  grand  rooms  are  closed  most  of  the  time. 
A  stranger  passing  through  would  think  them 
entirely  unoccupied. 

Feb.  12th. — Visited  the  palace  of  the  king  in 
Strada  "  Balbi."  It  is  very  large,  and  most  of  the 
rooms  are  magnificent :  there  are  very  many  cov- 


io8      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

ered  with  beautiful  paintings.  In  one  are  three  or 
four  very  large  pieces  of  Gobelin  tapestry. 

Feb.  i6th.  —  Left  Genoa  for  Marseilles,  thence  to 
Paris,  where  we  stopped  at  the  Hotel  du  Rhin  in 
Place  Vendome.  After  making  a  little  trip  alone 
to  London,  Rotterdam,  and  Brussels,  I  returned  to 
Paris.  When  on  board  the  steamer  from  Rotter- 
dam, a  passenger  approached,  and  asked  if  I  were 
Mr.  Field  of  America.  "  I  am,"  I  replied.  "  Well, 
said  he,  "  do  you  remember  attending  a  wedding 
at  Rotterdam  some  years  ago,  and  steaming  up 
the  Rhine  with  the  happy  pair  on  their  wedding- 
trip  ? "  —  "  Perfectly,"  I  replied.  "  I  am  that  groom, 
and  the  bride  sits  there,"  said  he,  pointing  to  a 
beautiful  girl.  I  was  presented ;  and  we  talked 
over  the  incidents  of  the  occasion,  and  had  a  pleas- 
ant trip  in  company. 

Remained  at  Paris  a  month,  when  we  started  for 
Havre,  where  we  engaged  passage  per  ship  "  Duch- 
esse  d'Orleans"  for  New  York,  and  sailed  March 
24th;  arrived  May  ist,  1842.  Passed  on  the  pas- 
sage a  large  iceberg,  longitude  38°  30'  W.  ;  and 
another,  very  much  larger,  on  the  same  day,  ten 
miles  distant. 

At  Boston  found  all  well. 

This  concluded  my  sea-peregrinations.  I  re- 
sumed business  at  No.  52  Central  Wharf,  and  con- 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       109 

tinued  a  general  East-India  business.  I  had  bought 
the  ship  "  Arbella,"  and  sent  her  to  India  previous 
to  this  time  (1842).  I  sold  out  my  interest  in  her  ; 
and  she  was  finally  condemned  at  Mauritius,  when 
on  a  voyage  to  Calcutta  with  a  cargo  of  ice. 

Then,  with  a  party  in  interest,  I  bought  ship 
"  Logan,"  at  public  auction,  for  fourteen  thousand 
dollars.  She  made  a  voyage  to  New  Orleans, 
Havre,  and  Sumatra,  to  Genoa,  where  she  arrived 
Nov.  I4th,  1841,  and  sailed  thence  to  Batavia  for 
sugar,  etc.,  thence  to  Genoa.  Afterwards  she  was 
despatched  to  Manila  for  hemp  and  sugar,  which 
she  procured,  and  sailed  for  Boston,  but  was  never 
afterwards  heard  of. 


1 10      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

OF  Sumatra,  judging  from  my  stand-point,  it  is 
the  last  place  in  the  world  where  I  should 
ever  wish  to  send  any  young  friend :  and  my  ex- 
perience has  been  pretty  large ;  for  I  have  made  to 
that  coast  five  voyages;  loaded,  and  assisted  in  de- 
spatching, ten  cargoes  of  pepper ;  have  been  inter- 
ested in  them  all ;  and  this  covers  a  period  of 
more  than  ten  years. 

In  the  first  place,  the  climate  is  very  unhealthy  : 
malignant  fevers  are  prevalent  and  fatal.  Some  of 
the  ports,  or  inland  bays,  where  the  anchorage- 
ground  is  mostly  surrounded  by  the  land,  are  espe- 
cially dangerous ;  while  those  lying  outside  are 
more  healthy.  Often  it  happens  that  a  boat's 
crew  cannot  get  off  to  the  ship,  by  reason  of  a 
high  and  dangerous  surf,  so  have  to  sleep  on 
shore.  My  brother  died  of  malignant  fever  con- 
tracted on  shore ;  also,  Capt.  Towne  of  the  "  Con- 
gress," Mr.  Richard  Lovett,  Capt.  Thompson,  and 
Mr.  George  E.  Channing  of  the  "  Alciope,"  were 
all  victims  of  this  same  malignant  fever  contracted 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       1 1 1 

at  Sumatra ;  and  many  sailors  die  there,  whose 
names  are  never  mentioned. 

In  the  second  place,  the  coast  is  very  dangerous 
from  the  terrific  surf.  Every  year  cases  of  drown- 
ing are  reported.  Capt.  Nichols  of  bark  "  Malay," 
I  think,  with  two  of  his  men,  was  drowned  in  the 
surf  while  going  on  shore.  I  have  seen  a  sampan, 
or  large  pepper-boat,  pitch,  and  come  down  on  her 
stem,  and  break  up  so  completely  as  not  to  leave  a 
vestige  of  her  wreck  larger  than  a  clapboard ;  and 
drowning  of  sailors  and  native  boatmen  are  frequent. 

In  the  third  place,  there  is  great  danger  from  the 
treachery  of  the  Malays.  Remember  the  cutting- 
off  of  the  ship  "  Friendship "  at  Qualah  Battoo, 
when  a  number  of  the  officers  and  crew  were  mur- 
dered, and  the  ship  plundered.  The  Government 
sent  out  the  frigate  "Potomac"  to  seek  satisfac- 
tion for  the  outrage.  The  satisfaction  obtained  was 
the  bombardment  of  the  bazaar  of  Qualah  Battoo, 
and  its  destruction  ;  while  the  ship-"  Eclipse"  was 
plundered  of  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars. 

For  myself,  I  had  little  or  no  trouble  with  the 
Malays.  On  the  last  day  of  loading  the  ship  "Can- 
dace,"  on  her  second  voyage  at  Mingin,  I  had  given 
notice  to  the  juretulis  that  I  could  not  take  over 
five  hundred  piculs  more ;  and  yet  the  people  were 
bringing  bags  of  pepper  down  in  great  quantities, 


112      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  MercJiant. 

and  rushing  it  to  the  scales,  actually  quarrelling 
among  themselves  for  precedence.  Finally  I  had 
to  declare  that  I  would  not  weigh  another  bag,  and 
gave  orders  to  my  men  to  knock  off,  and  take  down 
the  scales,  and  with  the  weights  load  them  into  our 
boat.  Such  a  clamor  arose  as  was  actually  fright- 
ful. We  walked  hastily  and  tremulously  into  our 
boat,  followed  by  a  crowd  of  disappointed  pepper- 
holders,  with  their  stocks  remaining  on  hand,  hav- 
ing to  transport  them  back  to  their  homes  at 
considerable  expense,  to  be  kept  over  until  the 
next  season.  It  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  the 
poor  fellows  were  disappointed  ;  for  the  season  had 
terminated,  and  they  had  no  hopes  of  another  ship 
for  a  year.  Some  of  the  pepper  had  been  brought 
to  the  scales,  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  on  the 
heads  of  men,  carrying  each  a  single  bag  of  two 
piculs  weight. 

Some  of  these  men  waded  knee-deep  in  the 
water,  and  some  held  on  to  the  boat.  We  loosened 
their  grip,  and  I  cannot  express  how  thankful  I 
was  to  get  into  deep  water  safely.  Lebby  Samatt, 
the  juretulis  of  Muckie,  came  with  us  to  assist; 
and,  as  we  pulled  alongside  the  ship,  he  expressed 
gratification  at  our  escape  from  injury,  saying  he 
had  great  fear  for  me  ;  and  how  he  trembled  ! 

But  all  these  dangers  are  offset  to  some  extent 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       113 

by  the  supercargoes  being  wholly  thrown  upon  their 
own  resources :  they  learn  to  act  for  themselves, 
being  independent  of  commission-houses,  and  thus, 
I  think,  gain  strength  of  judgment.  I  might  have 
reported  many  little  incidents  as  they  occurred. 
I  will  mention  a  few  that  now  come  to  my  mind. 

One  day,  when  travelling  down  the  coast  some 
miles  with  a  Malay,  he  suddenly  clapped  his  hand 
on  my  shoulder,  and  pointed  to  a  tree.  There  I 
beheld  the  longest  serpent  I  had  ever  seen :  it  was 
not  less  than  twenty  feet  in  length,  and  as  large  as 
my  wrist,  —  very  small  in  proportion  to  its  length. 
I  fired  my  gun,  and  hit  the  reptile  near  the  head. 
After  writhing  a  while  in  the  tree,  it  fell  to  the 
ground,  and  died.  It  would  have  been  a  great 
curiosity  in  any  museum. 

A  conspicuous  fellow,  who  had  a  story  connected 
with  his  history,  which  was  very  interesting,  was 
often  to  be  seen  standing  about  the  scales. 

One  night  when  sitting  on  his  doorsteps,  one 
foot  hanging  down,  he  fell  asleep.  After  some 
time  he  was  awakened,  to  behold  an  immense 
serpent  at  the  steps,  with  one  of  his  legs  in  its 
mouth,  and  swallowed  up  to  his  hip.  The  terror- 
stricken  man  raised  his  left  foot,  inserted  his 
heel  in  the  corner  of  the  reptile's  mouth,  and  drew 
forth  the  other  foot.  The  man,  when  released, 


114      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

decamped,  and  the  serpent  fled  also.  I  frequently 
spoke  with  the  man  about  this  case,  who  said  his 
leg  was  sore  for  a  long  time  after. 

In  telling  this  story  in  the  family,  I  often  assumed 
to  be  the  person  myself,  which  enhanced  the  zest 
very  much. 

I  went  ashore  with  the  boat's  crew  to  commence 
work  one  morning,  when  I  was  attracted  by  a  man 
lashed  to  a  tree  near  the  scales,  his  wrists  bound 
together  with  rattan  so  tightly  that  his  hands  were 
swollen  to  double  their  natural  size ;  and  he  was 
altogether  in  a  pitiable  condition. 

I  asked,  "What  has  this  man  done?"  — "He 
killed  a  man  last  night,"  replied  the  officer  who  had 
him  in  charge.  "  If  you  will  take  him  on  board 
your  ship,  and  carry  him  away  to  your  country, 
where  he  can  never  more  return  to  Sumatra,  you  can 
have  him."  I  declined  to  take  the  man,  a  murderer. 
He  was  unbound  from  the  tree,  and,  impelled  by 
his  sufferings,  ran  to  the  water,  being  held  by  a 
rope  in  the  hands  of  the  officer.  He  plunged  in,  and 
was  apparently  drowned  before  my  eyes,  the  officer 
holding  him  under.  After  some  minutes  he  was 
drawn  out  on  to  the  beach,  when  he  sat  up  !  Upon 
this  he  was  dragged  back.  The  officer,  with  an 
assistant,  placed  a  piece  of  bamboo  across  his  neck, 
and  held  it  there  until  the  man  was  dead.  He  was 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       1 1 5 

then  dragged  away  by  the  two  men  out  of  sight. 
The  Malays,  pepper-men,  and  others  standing  about 
the  scales,  did  not  seem  to  notice  in  the  slightest 
degree  what  was  going  on. 

The  pepper-plantations  at  Sumatra  are  confined 
to  about  3°  of  latitude,  on  the  north-west  coast  of 
the  island,  between  i°  and  4°  north,  where  ships 
go  for  pepper  especially.  In  about  i°  north  lati- 
tude lies  Pulo  Nyas,  an  island  where  a  large  trade 
in  slaves  is  carried  on  by  the  Chinese  in  junks, 
taking  females  principally,  retailing  them  at  the 
ports  on  Sumatra,  and  probably  at  ports  on  Borneo 
also.  A  junk  came  into  Muckie  while  we  were 
loading  pepper,  with  a  large  number  of  girls  for 
sale.  The  Malays  bought  some  of  them.  I  was 
invited  to  visit  a  bazaar  to  look  at  one,  brought  on 
shore  for  exhibition,  probably  the  belle  of  the 
cargo.  I  looked  at  the  girl :  she  was  really  pretty. 
I  asked  the  price  :  the  owner  said  he  would  sell 
her  for  fifty-five  dollars.  I  suppose  he  would  have 
accepted  fifty  dollars ;  but  I  didn't  wish  to  pur- 
chase at  any  price,  and  came  away. 

On  my  third  voyage  to  Sumatra,  I  was  taken  ill 
of  the  tertian  fever,  which  I  could  not  throw  off  : 
it  clung  to  me  for  nearly  two  years,  off  and  on. 
On  my  next  voyage  to  Sumatra,  while  in  port 
loading  pepper,  an  English  Government  ship  came 


n6      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

to  anchor,  with,  I  learned,  a  surgeon  on  board :  at 
the  time  I  was  suffering  from  this  fever.  I  saw 
him,  and  told  him  of  my  trouble  :  he  said  he  could 
cure  me  instantly.  "  I  would  like  to  have  you  do 
it,"  I  replied ;  when  he  gave  me  a  dose  of  quinine, 
as  much  as  one  could  heap  on  a  ten-cent  piece,  or 
half  a  teaspoonful,  wrapped  in  a  moistened  wafer  ; 
this  I  took  on  board  his  ship:  and  he  supplied  me 
with  half  a  dozen  doses,  to  be  used  when  I  felt  the 
chills  or  fever  coming  on ;  but  I  never  felt  them 
after  the  first  dose.  I  at  once  began  to  dispense 
quinine  to  the  numerous  natives  suffering  from 
the  tertian  fever ;  but,  having  a  limited  stock,  I 
could  not  do  much. 

On  my  next  trip,  I  supplied  myself  with  a  large 
quantity,  say  several  bottles,  with  wafers  in  pro- 
portion. On  arriving,  I  began  to  treat  cases  of 
fever  and  ague,  and  was  successful.  Daily  appli- 
cations were  made  for  this  wonderful  medicine  ; 
many  wanting  it  to  hold  in  reserve  for  them- 
selves, many  for  sick  friends  :  and  presents  of 
fruit,  eggs,  etc.,  were  constantly  coming  on  board 
ship  from  those  who  had  been  relieved. 

One  day  a  man  came  to  me,  and  asked  for  some 
of  that  medicine,  which  he  wished  for  a  sick  friend. 
I  told  him  to  bring  his  friend  to  me,  and  I  would 
see  if  he  needed  it.  "  He  lives  too  far  off  on  the 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       1 1 7 

mountain,"  said  he:  "he  cannot  come."  —  "Then, 
I  will  go  to  him,"  I  said.  "  You  cannot  get  there  : 
it  is  too  high,  and  too  far  distant,"  he  replied. 
"  Can  a  goat  get  there  ?  "  I  said.  "  A  goat !  Yes,  a 
goat  can,  but  you  cannot"  —  "Well,"  said  I,  "if 
a  goat  can,  I  can  try;"  and  with  the  man  I  started 
on  the  way.  I  was  always  prepared  with  half  a 
dozen  papers  of  quinine  and  a  vial  of  castor-oil, 
in  cases  of  emergency.  We  travelled  up  hill,  over 
almost  impassable  tracks.  I  became  so  fatigued 
I  had  to  lie  down  and  rest :  after  five  minutes  I 
started  again,  and  walked  only  two  or  three  rods 
when  I  was  obliged  to  lie  down  again.  We  had 
nearly  reached  the  place,  when  my  companion  ran 
ahead,  and  made  preparations  for  me  by  dislodging 
the  invalid  from  his  bed.  I  followed,  and  stag- 
gered along  to  the  patient,  and  was  soon  ensconced 
in  the  prepared  bed.  After  resting  a  while,  I 
examined  the  patient,  and  gave  him  a  dose  of 
castor-oil,  and  left  with  him  three  doses  of  quinine 
with  wafers,  one  of  which  was  to  be  taken  the  next 
day,  and  one  a  day  after,  instructing  him  how  to 
take  them.  I  then  looked  about,  and  beheld  a 
very  magnificent  scene ;  our  ship  appearing  like 
a  miniature  vessel,  way  down,  apparently,  at  our 
feet  ;  and  beyond,  an  extensive  ocean  view ;  and 
inland,  rugged  mountains, — altogether  a  wonder- 


Il8      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

ful  scene,  such  as  amply  repaid  me  for  the  trouble 
of  attaining  it.  On  our  return,  I  thought  how 
much  we  had  been  exposed  to  attacks  of  wild 
animals,  as  many  places  seemed  perfectly  fitted  for 
them.  The  descent  from  the  mountain  was  com- 
paratively easy.  I  finally  reached  the  shore  in 
safety,  where  quite  a  number  had  collected  to 
receive  us,  all  deeming  the  excursion  an  exploit. 
Some  few  days  after,  I  learned  that  the  man  was 
much  better. 

The  Malays  have  their  religious  festivals  (Ma- 
homedan  festivals)  as  well  as  other  people.  I  was 
invited  on  shore  to  witness  one  of  these  exhibi- 
tions :  they  take  place  periodically,  about  the  full 
of  the  moon.  This  one  was  held  at  midnight.  It 
was  in  a  large  sanctuary,  or  pavilion,  where  the 
Malays  entered  at  all  times  to  perform  their  rites 
of  worship. 

On  this  occasion,  there  were  about  a  hundred 
persons  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a  circle,  each  with  a 
small  tambourine,  which  was  beaten  in  unison. 
At  one  side  of  the  circle  sat  two  or  three  priests, 
or  Toonkoos  as  they  are  called.  A  small  chalice 
with  gum  benzoin  was  kept  liquid  by  a  lamp. 
Then  several  of  the  novitiates  came  in,  and  danced 
to  the  taps  made  on  the  tambourines ;  the  more 
enthusiasm,  the  louder  the  noise  on  these  instru- 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.      1 19 

ments.  And,  when  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch, 
these  novitiates  —  who  were  all  the  time  brandish- 
ing knives,  daggers,  and  other  instruments,  feign- 
ing to  stab  or  cut  themselves  —  suddenly  rush 
into  their  work  in  earnest,  and  plunge  their  knives 
through  their  arms,  and  drive  spikes  with  heads  as 
large  as  oranges  into  their  heads  with  mallets. 
Thus  they  continue  to  dance,  without  loosening 
the  spikes,  leaving  the  knives  pierced  through 
their  arms.  All  this  done,  the  excitement  cools 
off  :  and,  in  case  blood  flows  freely,  gum  benzoin 
is  applied ;  but  the  priests  declare  that  blood  will 
never  flow  from  men  of  the  true  spirit.  The  whole 
was  a  sickening  sight,  and  I  came  away.  The 
next  day  I  saw  a  couple  of  these  devotees,  who 
showed  me  their  wounds  :  they  had  evidently  been 
smeared  with  gum.  I  never  attended  a  second 
service  of  this  kind. 

At  the  theatre  in  Leghorn  one  night,  when  a 
grand  performance  was  given  in  the  presence  of 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany  and'  suite,  and  Queen 
of  Naples,  and  a  crowded  and  brilliant  audience, 
Mr.  Morse,  myself,  and  friends  occupied  a  box 
between  that  of  the  Grand  Duke  and  the  stage, 
on  the  right-hand  side.  I  was  sitting  in  front  at 
the  right-hand  corner,  when  a  gentlemen  in  court- 
dress  appeared  at  our  box.  Mr.  Morse,  who  was 


I2O      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

standing,  responded  to  the  rap,  when  the  stranger 
inquired,  "  Who  is  the  gentleman  sitting  in  front, 
on  the  right  ?  The  Queen  desires  to  know,  as  he 
so  much  resembles  her  brother ! "  Mr.  Morse 
replied,  "  That  is  an  American,  Mr.  Field  of 
Boston." 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       12 1 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

IN  1849,  there  raged  a  great  fever  throughout 
the  country,  caused  by  accounts  of  gold  dis- 
coveries in  California.  I  took  the  fever,  and  ex- 
erted my  utmost  to  interest  friends  to  join  me  in 
some  adventures  there.  I  succeeded  at  last ;  and 
we  bought  the  ship  "Alciope,"  Feb.  7th,  1849, 
for  $4,800,  and  loaded  her  with  the  cheapest  of 
boards,  costing  $12  to  $13  per  thousand,  making 
the  total  cost  of  ship,  cargo,  outfits,  and  insurance, 
$16,740;  and,  on  arrival  at  California,  sold  the 
lumber  for  $300  per  thousand.  April  23d,  1849, 
we  bought  the  bark  "  Eurotas "  for  $9,000,  and 
loaded  her  with  the  cheapest  lumber  also,  making 
total  cost  of  bark,  cargo,  outfits,  insurance,  etc., 
$19,320.15. 

The  cargo  of  this  last  vessel  was  partly  sold  at 
$300  per  thousand.  The  whole  was  landed,  but 
only  partly  delivered,  when  a  great  fire  occurred, 
destroying  a  goodly  portion  of  the  lumber  not 
delivered,  which  was  lost  to  us. 

We  received,  however,  for  the  two  cargoes,  —  in 


122      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

gold-dust,  —  $122,542.76  ;  giving  us  a  net  profit  on 
the  two  vessels,  clear  of  every  thing,  $86,482.61. 
I  mention  these  particulars,  as  exaggerated  state- 
ments of  these  gold  adventures  had  gone  into  cir- 
culation. I  wish  to  state  the  real  facts :  they  were 
among  the  earliest  adventures  to  California  after 
the  gold  discovery. 

The  "  Alciope  "  was  sold,  and  buried  in  one  of 
the  wharves  at  San  Francisco.  The  "Eurotas" 
was  despatched  to  Manila,  where  she  engaged  a 
freight  to  New  York,  and  was  loaded,  and  ready 
for  sea.  A  terrific  typhoon  arose,  damaging  the 
vessel  so  badly,  that  the  cargo  was  transhipped  to 
another  ;  and  the  "  Eurotas  "  was  condemned,  and 
sold  for  the  benefit  of  underwriters ! 

Dec.  i3///f  1849.  —  We  bought  the  ship  "  Ilzaide  " 
for  $14,000,  and  loaded  her  with  lumber,  lime,  and 
other  building  materials,  and  despatched  her  for 
San  Francisco,  where  she  arrived ;  and  part  of  her 
cargo  was  landed,  when  she  encountered  a  typhoon 
in  port,  and  was  damaged  so  badly  as  to  render 
her  unseaworthy  ;  and  she  was  condemned,  and  her 
days  ended ! 

Jan.  \*jth,  1850. — We  bought  the  schooner 
"  J.  K.  F.  Mansfield"  for  $5,6.00,  and  sent  her  to 
San  Francisco  with  an  assorted  cargo  of  provis- 
ions, groceries,  etc.  She  arrived  safely.  She  was 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       123 

intended  for  a  packet  on  the  Sacramento  River,  to 
and  from  San  Francisco,  but,  after  two  or  three 
trips,  was  withdrawn,  and  sent  a  few  times  to  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  was  sold.  Then  came  the 
ship  "  Rockall,"  purchased  for  $25,500;  was  also 
sent  to  San  Francisco,  being  the  last  vessel  in 
which  we  were  interested  in  the  California  trade. 
She  was  loaded  with  building  materials  ;  arrived 
put,  landed  her  cargo,  and  sailed  thence  for  Cal- 
cutta, and  from  Calcutta  to  Boston,  and  was  sold. 
In  the  aggregate  of  losses,  by  these  last  three  ves- 
sels, it  absorbed  about  one-third  of  what  the  first 
two  gained. 

Then  for  an  adventure  in  a  new  line  of  business 
we  purchased  the  brig  "  Hay  ward"  in  June,  1851, 
and  paid  for  her  $5,750,  and  sent  her  to  the  east 
coast  of  Africa  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a 
cargo  of  cowries  to  dispose  of  on  the  west  coast 
of  Africa.  She  was  loaded  with  a  variety  of 
cotton  goods,  lumber,  groceries,  etc.  She  visited 
Tamatave,  Madagascar,  Zanzibar,  Muscat,  Bom- 
bay, Seychelle  Islands,  and  other  places,  and,  not 
being  able  to  procure  cowries  in  sufficient  quanti- 
ties, abandoned  that  part  of  the  voyage,  and 
loaded  for  Boston  with  dates,  cloves,  elephants' 
teeth,  etc.  The  vessel  and  cargo  were  sold,  and 
the  adventure  closed. 


124      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN  1852  I  joined  another  concern,  which  required 
my  services  at  home;  and  so  I  have  continued  to 
live  in  Boston  many  years  without  any  adventures 
worth  recording.  In  the  spring  of  1874,  myself, 
wife,  and  daughter  made  a  trip  to  California,  over- 
land. I  had  always  entertained  a  desire  to  cross 
the  American  continent.  It  proved  a  very  inter- 
esting excursion.  We  took  the  Boston  and 
Albany  Railroad,  a  sleeping-car  for  the  passage 
through  to  San  Francisco.  We  stopped  a  day  or 
two  at  Chicago,  which  gave  us  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  that  city;  passed  a  Sunday  there.  At  this 
time  it  had  been  mostly  restored  from  the  effects 
of  the  great  fire  of  1871,  and  in  many  respects 
was  in  a  vastly  improved  condition.  We  went  to 
Dr.  Robert  Collier's  church,  and  looked  into  the 
Pacific  Hotel,  a  very  splendid  establishment,  as 
is  also  the  Palmer  House  where  we  stopped. 
Chicago  is  a  very  gay  and  lively  city. 

On  Monday  morning  we  started  afresh,  and  trav- 
elled day  and  night  to  Omaha.     Here  we  seemed 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.      125 

to  take  a  new  departure.  Baggage  was  weighed, 
an  account  of  it  taken,  then  it  was  stowed  away 
for  the  long  journey.  Baskets  of  provisions  and 
refreshments  were  packed,  here  being  a  shop 
for  the  sale  of  every  thing,  pyramids  of  roasted 
chickens  arranged  on  the  counters  with  other 
dainties ;  although  it  was  announced  that  the  res- 
taurants on  the  route  provided  by  the  railroad  cor- 
poration were  unequalled  in  every  respect.  We 
found  them  very  nice  and  tidy  ;  large,  airy  rooms, 
attended  by  selected  Chinese  boys  decked  in  spot- 
less white  linen,  and  all  alive  to  the  wants  of  the 
travellers.  Many  of  our  passengers  who  had  sup- 
plied themselves  at  Omaha,  finding  such  good 
service,  and  such  a  bountiful  supply  of  good 
things,  left  their  baskets  on  the  wayside. 

From  Omaha  we  began  to  learn  who  our  fellow- 
passengers  were.  We  happily  found  ourselves 
with  a  very  agreeable  company. 

The  travelling  was  very  delightful.  We  saw 
many  antelopes,  but  no  buffaloes,  excepting  some 
few  captured  and  secured  in  barnyards.  Also  we 
saw  a  large  number  of  prairie-dogs. 

The  prairies  seemingly  are  level,  but  that  is  not 
the  case.  They  rise  gradually  and  imperceptibly 
westward,  until  one  finds  himself  at  the  top  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 


126      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

The  view  from  these  summits  eastward  was 
like  looking  at  an  endless  ocean  over  which  we 
had  just  traversed;  while  the  view  westward 
appeared  looking  into  another  world,  so  great  was 
the  contrast  between  the  eastern  and  the  western. 

The  descent  from  these  mountains  is  circuitous  ; 
and  the  train  runs  by  the  side  of  precipices  for 
many  miles,  startling  the  traveller  at  times  with 
nervous  frenzy.  The  views  are  constantly  chan- 
ging all  the  way  down  to  Sacramento  City.  Here 
we  paused  a  while.  Long  before  this  point  is 
reached,  however,  men  and  boys  came  into  the 
cars  with  baskets  of  the  most  delicious  cherries 
ever  tasted  or  seen  by  mortals.  These  cherries 
are  brought  out  from  San  Francisco  to  forestall 
the  market  there. 

After  taking  some  refreshments  at  an  exorbi- 
tant restaurant,  we  proceeded  to  San  Francisco 
along  the  shore  of  the  Sacramento  River,  a  very 
muddy-looking  stream.  Arrived  and  engaged 
rooms  at  the  Grand  Union  Hotel  by  the  side  of 
the  Palace  Hotel,  then  in  course  of  building, 
showing  a  foundation  for  a  colossal  establishment. 
Our  party  remained  together,  and  set  forth,  with- 
out loss  of  time,  to  inspect  this  wonderful  city. 

We  drove  through  almost  all  the  streets  passa- 
ble ;  went  to  the  shore  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  see 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       127 

the  Rock  Islets,  where  seals  congregate  and  bel- 
low; and  to  the  garden,  where  many  curiosities 
are  to  be  seen,  including  a  small  lake  with  rocks, 
swarming  with  seals  ;  here  patrons  may  see  them 
fed.  We  explored  the  Chinese  quarters  ;  went  to 
the  Chinese  theatre,  and  looked  into  an  opium 
smoking-den.  In  exploring  these  places,  we  were 
accompanied  by  a  police  officer. 

I  went  myself  to  the  wharf  where  the  "  Alciope" 
was  buried ;  the  spot  being  pointed  out  by  Mr. 
Macondray,  one  of  the  partners  of  the  house  to 
which  the  ship  was  consigned.  The  ship  was 
built  in  with  the  woodwork  of  the  wharf  originally, 
and  afterwards  covered  with  gravel  and  soil,  so 
that  no  portion  of  the  vessel  could  then  be  seen. 

I  saw  a  huge  steamship  lying  at  the  quay,  just 
arrived  from  China,  smelling  of  tea  and  chunam, 
and  overrun  with  Chinamen. 

After  a  week  in  these  researches,  we  travelled 
south  to  Santa  Clara  and  San  Jose,  very  pretty, 
fascinating  little  places.  We  went  into  a  refresh- 
ment hall,  and  made  a  luncheon  of  bread  and 
butter,  milk  and  coffee.  Our  party  agreed  in 
declaring  the  bread  and  butter  the  nicest  they  had 
ever  tasted.  We  passed  the  bishop's  palace,  and, 
going  and  returning  by  different  routes,  saw  several 
of  the  palatial  residences  of  the  lucky  gold  finders 


128       Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

and  speculators,  and  some  of  the  old  missions. 
After  this  journey  south,  we  took  another  north, 
to  visit  the  geysers, — a  two  or  three  days'  jour- 
ney, by  a  road  the  most  beautiful  imaginable,  via 
Calistoga.  The  greater  part  of  the  distance  the 
country  was  covered  with  brilliant  flowers,  shed- 
ding sweet  perfumes. 

Passing  through  some  of  the  gold-bearing  re- 
gions, we  occasionally  came  to  a  shanty  belonging 
to  some  broker  of  gold-claims,  where  specimens  of 
ore  of  every  degree  of  quality  were  exhibited  to 
travellers,  with  solicitations  to  become  interested 
in  the  mines. 

Some  parts  of  the  journey,  as  we  approached 
the  geysers,  were  over  mountains,  and  on  the 
verge  of  precipices  frightful  to  look  over.  The 
stages  are  open  vehicles,  and  drawn  by  four  or  six 
horses :  and  the  drivers  are  men  determined  to 
go  ahead,  and  are  not  to  be  beaten  ;  and  they  drive 
with  lightning  speed  round  sharp  turns,  and  on 
the  brink  of  precipices  ;  and,  if  one  attempts  to 
expostulate  with  them  for  such  rashness,  they 
generally  remark,  "  The  horses  are  as  anxious  for 
safety  as  you  are,  and  will  cleave  to  the  track." 

There  are  terrible  accidents  happening  every 
year  on  these  roads,  which  are  never  known  to 
the  public.  Notwithstanding  all  these  risks,  we 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       129 

safely  reached  the  geysers.  The  morning  after 
our  arrival,  we  set  forth  to  examine  these  works 
of  nature.  They  are  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
hotel.  One  hears  a  constant  roar,  like  the  blow- 
ing off  steam  from  the  boilers  of  some  monstrous 
steamship  ;  and,  when  you  reach  the  Devil's  Cal- 
dron, you  can  dip  up  from  the  puddles  which 
surround  it,  cold  water,  hot  water,  pure  water, 
filthy  water,  soda-water,  ink,  and  almost  every 
other  kind  of  water  to  be  thought  of  ;  and  you 
would  think  the  while,  that  a  large  corps  of 
nature's  workmen  were  below,  working  for  dear 
life,  to  supply  the  demand  above. 

We  were  satisfied,  and,  after  one  day  spent  at 
these  geysers,  turned  our  faces  toward  San  Fran- 
cisco. We  took  a  different  route  homeward, 
through  the  Santa  Rosa  Valley  to  Cloverdale, 
where  we  took  the  train  to  the  bay. 


130      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

WE  now  made  a  trip  to  the  Yosemite  Valley. 
Taking  leave  of  San  Francisco,  we  left  by 
rail  for  Stockton,  —  a  busy,  thriving  town,  —  spent 
the  night  there,  and,  leaving  our  baggage,  started 
with  hand-bags  by  coach  ;  passed  two  nights  on 
the  way  ;  then  we  took  to  horseback-riding,  accom- 
panied by  an  ox-team  drag,  to  relieve  those  who 
were  weary  of  riding  over  snow.  Finally  we 
reached  the  entrance  to  the  valley.  We  sat  an 
hour  gazing  into  it  from  a  selected  spot,  a  sight 
too  grand  for  me  to  attempt  to  describe.  Our 
party  now  was  composed  of  about  twenty  ladies 
and  gentlemen.  As  we  proceeded,  we  met  a 
return-party.  On  questioning  them  about  the 
journey,  they  pitied  us  for  the  dangers  before  us. 
The  descent  is  fearfully  precipitous ;  but,  when 
once  in  the  valley,  it  is  very  level. 

Imagine  walls,  some  of  them  perpendicular, 
surrounding  you,  fifteen  times  higher  than  Bunker- 
hill  Monument ;  the  floor,  a  beautiful  garden  fra- 
grant with  flowers,  covering  an  area  of  seven 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       131 

miles  in  length  by  about  one  and  a  half  in  width, 
with  the  beautiful  river  Merced  flowing  through 
the  centre,  —  imagine  this,  and  you  have  a  picture 
of  the  Yosemite  Valley. 

After  a  week's  sojourn,  having  seen  almost 
every  thing  in  this  beautiful  valley,  we  left  for 
Stockton,  and  resumed  our  travels  on  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad  to  Colfax,  where  we  alighted, 
and  made  a  trip  to  Marysville.  Here  we  spent 
two  days  on  a  ranch,  then  returned  to  Colfax,  and 
continued  our  journey  to  Ogden,  where  we  left 
the  road,  and  went  to  Salt  Lake  City.  We  passed 
two  days  in  seeing  the  Mormon  city  and  Brigham 
Young.  We  called  at  the  residence  of  the  Mor- 
mon prophet,  saw  him  and  his  councillors,  compli- 
mented them  on  the  selection  of  the  spot  they 
had  made  for  the  new  city.  "  Yes,"  said  Brigham, 
"  it  is  a  fine  location  ;  and  we  are  not  indebted  to 
Boston  for  it."  After  some  conversation,  he  asked 
us  to  subscribe  our  names  in  his  book,  which  we 
did. 

He  said  that  Cyrus  W.  Field  was  there  a  day  or 
two  before,  and  asked  what  relationship  between 
us.  I  said  that  he  was  from  a  branch  of  the  same 
family. 

Brigham  Young  was  good-looking  and  genial, 
reminding  me  very  much  of  Peter  Brigham,  at  the 


132      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

time  a  director  of  the  Fitchburg  Railroad  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. We  took  leave,  and  walked  to  the 
Temple,  which  we  explored,  and  drove  about  the 
city,  and  in  the  evening  went  to  the  theatre.  Next 
day  we  returned  to  Ogden,  where  we  took  train  by 
the  Union  Pacific  to  Cheyenne ;  thence  proceeded 
to  Denver,  where  we  stopped  two  or  three  days  ; 
then,  by  the  Kansas  division  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  we  continued  our  journey  homeward  via 
Kansas  City,  making  short  stops  at  Cleveland  and 
New  York,  and  arriving  safely  at  Boston,  the  trip 
in  every  respect  having  been  delightful. 

About  the  2Oth  of  December,  1875,!  left  Boston 
for  a  trip  South,  taking  the  Springfield  train  at  10 
P.M.  ;  the  thermometer  at  ten  degrees  below  zero ; 
I  thought  to  have  frozen  to  death.  I  continued  on 
the  direct  train  to  Baltimore,  and  then  took  a 
steamer  down  the  bay  to  Norfolk.  The  next  day 
a  remarkable  change  took  place  in  the  weather: 
from  zero  the  thermometer  rose  to  eighty  degrees 
of  Fahrenheit.  It  was  like  midsummer,  and  so 
continued  during  this  whole  journey.  I  went  over 
the  navy-yard,  and  examined  the  old  naval  hulks, 
and  found  none  worth  considering  a  moment. 
Passed  one  day  at  the  Norfolk  yard  :  then  I  has- 
tened onward  to  Charleston,  S.C. ;  stopped  two 
days  there,  and  called  on  friends,  and  was  very 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       133 

pleasantly  entertained.  From  Charleston  I  trav- 
elled to  Savannah,  and  passed  Christmas  there 
with  acquaintances  ;  then  continued  by  rail  to  Mo- 
bile, and  from  Mobile  to  New  Orleans,  arriving 
in  the  evening,  and  taking  up  quarters  at  the  St. 
Charles'  Hotel.  I  also  found  friends  here,  and  the 
next  day  rambled  thoroughly  over  the  city,  both 
the  French  and  the  English  quarters  ;  rode  over 
to  Lake  Ponchartrain,  and  down  to  a  sugar-plan- 
tation about  where  Gen.  Jackson  defeated  the  Eng- 
lish army,  and  saved  New  Orleans  ;  walked  over 
the  battle-ground,  and  came  back.  After  a  week's 
stay  in  New  Orleans,  I,  with  a  party  of  friends, 
made  a  trip  to  Galveston,  Tex.,  which  was  very 
interesting,  through  the  lagoons  :  outside,  it  was 
very  rough.  Galveston  is  a  sand  island  open  to 
terrible  storms,  which  often  occur.  We  met  some 
good  friends  there,  who  entertained  us  royally. 
Saw  the  Ice  Folly  of  Senator  Jones,  and  returned 
to  New  Orleans.  Witnessed  the  "  Mardi  Gras  " 
festival,  and  attended  the  grand  ball,  given  in  a  very 
beautiful  theatre.  The  "  Mardi  Gras,"  as  given 
in  New  Orleans,  surpassed  any  thing  of  the  kind 
I  ever  witnessed.  After  this  I  took  up  my  jour- 
ney, and  returned  home  to  Boston.  The  people  of 
the  South  I  found  full  of  grit,  although  poverty- 
stricken,  as  the  buildings  and  lower  classes  clearly 


1 34      Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant. 

showed  ;  but  they  laugh  as  loud,  and  grin  as  broad, 
as  ever  before  the  war  ;  and  I  did  not  perceive  any 
of  that  desperate  ill-feeling  towards  the  North 
that  they  are  said  to  indulge  in.  I  was  glad  to 
reach  Boston  again,  and  for  good. 

In  all  my  travels,  I  have  never  yet  seen  a  city 
that  I  prefer  to  it,  either  as  a  residence  or  in 
which  to  educate  a  family;  and  I  am  happy  to  call 
Boston  my  home. 

In  1878,  my  wife  approving,  we  selected  a  spot 
in  Weston,  ten  miles  from  Boston,  where  we 
built  a  dwelling-house,  after  the  style  of  an  Italian 
villa,  for  a  summer  residence  ;  but  after  three  or 
four  years  we  concluded  to  make  it  our  permanent 
home,  naming  it  "  Glenfeld." 

Since  I  started  in  the  struggle  for  existence  in 
the  world,  great  changes  have  taken  place  in  the 
methods  of  doing  business.  Young  men  do  not 
have  the  opportunities  of  travelling  and  seeing  the 
world  as  I  had.  It  may  be  said  that  I  am  one  of 
the  old  school.  It  is  true,  my  life  has  been  a  busy 
one,  the  poetry  of  it  much  enhanced  by  my  travels. 
Even  Sumatra  has  something  fascinating  about  it, 
although  so  much  to  be  dreaded.  I  have  often 
thought  I  would  like  to  visit  it  again  for  a  brief 
period,  but  more  than  fifty  years  have  elapsed 
since  I  was  there.  Who  would  be  living  now  of 


Reminiscences  of  a  Boston  Merchant.       135 

all  my  acquaintances  ?  Probably  not  one  would 
be  there  to  greet  me. 

Contemporaries  of  sixty  years  ago,  when  I  com- 
menced my  peregrinations,  are  scarce,  and  very 
few  of  them  to  be  found  anywhere. 

I  find  myself  always  among  younger  people ; 
but,  happily,  I  retain  my  youthful  feelings,  and 
enjoy  young  society. 

In  1852,  when  I  joined  another  concern,  which 
required  my  services  at  home,  it  was  with  Mr. 
Frederic  Tudor  (an  aristocrat  in  every  good  sense 
of  the  word),  who  originated  the  ice-trade  in  1805, 
a  business  promising  a  permanency  beyond  all 
others,  the  most  secure  for  all  time.  But  the 
progress  of  science  nipped  the  flower  in  the  bud. 
The  artificial  production  of  ice  gave  a  new  turn  to 
the  business,  and  the  extensive  East-Indian  trade 
of  the  Tudor  Company  in  the  natural  ice  was 
abandoned.  The  Calcutta  trade  secured  to  Boston 
by  reason  of  the  ice-freights,  is,  now  turned  into 
new  channels,  or  dwindled  away.  The  Sumatran 
trade,  once  so  great  and  secure,  is  now  changed 
and  lost. 

The  Cuban  and  Russian  trade  in  sugar,  monopo- 
lized by  Boston,  has  taken  another  current,  and  is 
lost.  And  it  may  be  said  that  trade  throughout 
the  world  is  now  undergoing  a  change,  making  all 


136       Reminiscences  oj  a  Boston  Merchant. 

specialties  disappear.     The  record  of  the  immor- 
tal bard  is  truly  fitting  when  he  makes  Prospero 

say,— 

"  The  cloud-capped  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces. 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself, 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve, 
And,  like  this  insubstantial  pageant  faded, 
Leave  not  a  rack  behind." 


: 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


Quarter 


STACKS 

KEC'DLD    .^, 


•1  PM5 


EP    3^561 

REC.  CIR.    MAR     5  '75 


LD21A-40m-3,'72 
(Qll73BlO)476-A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


M311443 


